How To Use Compost

Hot Springs Compost Facility
End of Davidson Drive, off of Shady Grove Road near the city wastewater treatment plant and city animal shelter 321-6869

Hours of Operation
Mon – Fri 7 am - 6:30 pm
Sat – Sun 10 am - 4 pm

Compost can be loaded for you on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 am - 5 pm. Loading tickets can only be purchased at the Utilities Business Office, 349 Malvern Avenue, Hot Springs, AR 71901.

Compost Loading Fees

Hot Springs residents
$6 per cubic yard, up to 3 cubic yards
$15 per cubic yard thereafter

All other customers
$15 per cubic yard

Valley of the Vapors compost
$2 per bag (approximately 50 lbs.), when available
Compost continues to be offered free of charge to those who load it themselves.

Purpose
General landscaping, flower beds, house plants, gardens, lawns, shrubbery, trees, etc.

How is Hot Springs compost made?
The compost is produced at the City’s compost facility, located at the end of Davidson Drive. It is a mixture of wood chips, dewatered biosolids from the City’s wastewater facility, and straw from the nearby thoroughbred racetrack.

Analysis

Benefits of compost and its effect on growing systems

1. Improves the soil structure, porosity and density, thus creating a better plant root environment.
2. Increases infiltration and permeability of heavy soils, thus reducing erosion and runoff.
3. Improves water holding capacity, thus reducing water loss and leaching.
4. Supplies a variety of macro- and micronutrients.
5. May control or suppress certain soil-borne plant pathogens.
6. Supplies significant quantities of organic matter.
7. Improves cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soils and growing media, thus improving their ability to hold nutrients for plant use.
8. Improves and stabilizes soil pH.
9. Can bind and degrade specific pollutants.

How is Hot Springs compost used?

Established lawns
Apply 3/4 to 1 cubic yard of compost per 1,000 square feet to a depth of 1/4 to 3/8 inch. This is best done in early spring and late fall, when conditions are cool and moist.

New lawns
Apply 3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet to a depth of 1 inch, and rototill to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.

Flower boxes and house plants
Mix 2 parts compost, 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite or vermiculite.

Flower garden
Apply 3 cubic yards of compost per every 1,000 square feet, to a depth of 1 inch.

Vegetable garden
Apply 1 cubic yard per 1,000 square feet of garden once per year, in late fall or winter.
We recommend you wear garden gloves when working with this and other garden materials.

The City of Hot Springs certifies that the compost has been treated by a Process to Further Reduce Pathogens (PFRP) and Vector Attraction (VAR) process as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The City of Hot Springs has analyzed the compost in accordance with the requirement of the EPA and EDQ. The City of Hot Springs makes no offers, express or implied. There is no warranty of merchantability or of fitness of this compost for any purpose. Compost is hygienically and environmentally safe if it is used properly.