Homeowners, Tree trimmers, yard services, City and State vehicles deliver recyclable yard trimmings across our truck scale.  We recycle over 85,000 tons of yard trimmings per year at our two Oahu facilities.  That's equal to about 7,083 semi-truck loads per year, extending the life of our local landfills!  In Hawaii, our land space is limited.  We must protect and preserve by recycling.

The yard trimmings are loaded into our tub grinder.  We have 2 large tub grinders, a 1,000 Horsepower Hogzilla and 750 Horsepower Diamond Z.  Our grinders can pulverize a log 10 feet in diameter (the size of a small car) into 3" shredded mulch.  Awesome!

After grinding, the ground yard trimmings are placed in "windrows": piles about 8 feet wide, 10 feet high and 400-800 feet long.  The piles are watered so they are kept moist.  Composting is a controlled biological decomposition of organic matter.  This decomposition is a result of microscopic organisms naturally present in leaf and yard trimmings.  The process begins with mesophilic bacteria and fungi that work best at a temperature range from 50-105 F.  They give off heat in the decomposition process and at a temperature range of 105-150 F a population of thermophilic (heat loving) micro-organisms take over the decomposition.  Weed seeds and undesireable pathogens are killed when temperatures reach 135 F for a period of 3 days.  At these high temperatures, there can be up to 10 billion beneficial micro-organisms per gram of debris.  Menehune MAGIC Organic Soil Conditioner is fully composted yard trimmings.  Our Organic Compost is a mixture of yard trimmings and steer manure, which adds a little more nitrogen.

Piles are monitored daily for moisture and temperature.  Temperature readings indicate when the pile needs to be turned to allow exposure to oxygen to keep the pile aerobic.  Piles are turned with a Scarab Windrow Turner every 3-7 days, depending on the temperature readings.  As long as the piles are kept aerobic, there is no objectionable odor from the composting process.  It is only when materials are allowed to go anaerobic (not exposed to oxygen) that the materials can smell very bad.  If the piles were not turned, the material would get so hot that it would catch fire due to spontaneous combustion.  From start to finish, it takes about 3 months for compost to be made.  Composting is not high-tech.  It goes on every day in nature, out in the forest and jungles as leaves fall from trees, decompose on the ground and enrich the soil.

When the Compost is ready, and the material is cured, it is screened through a 1/2" screen (or 3/8" for even finer materials) and ready for sale as compost or soil conditioner.  The middle size materials (1/2"-2") are sold as Cover Mulch for flower beds and shrub hedges to retain moisture, discourage weed growth, prevent erosion and as a decorative cover.

In 2001 Hawaiian Earth Products introduced another first to Hawaii: Our Blowing services.  Compost and other Organic Soil Conditioner can be blown onto your yard.  Our truck has a 300 foot long hose, so we can park in your driveway, or the street in front of your house, and spread compost onto your backyard, up slopes, over walls, or up 2 story buildings.  WE GO WHERE NO WHEELBARROW HAS GONE BEFORE!  No more backbreaking labor spreading compost yourself.

The result of using Menehune MAGIC is a beautiful lawn.  Hear it from the professionals: John Wilkinson, Owner - Back to Eden Landscape Company/Past President - Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii: "Menehune MAGIC Organic Soil Amendments are a must for any landscaper that wants to stand out above the competition.  We've been extremely satisfied, and so have our clients.  With Menehune MAGIC, we get excellent growth, weed retardant, no nitrogen draft, and ample water retention.  Best of all, cost is lower than any of their competition.  Can't go wrong with this product."