The city’s annual Spring Compost Giveaway will take place this week.

Area residents who want the rich organic material to improve their gardens or flower beds have three opportunities this week to get a free truckload. The giveaway will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The location for all three days will be at the city’s wood recovery and composting facility, 1420 E. 11th Street. The facility is east of 11th and Haskell, with the entrance just east of the railroad tracks.

Compost is a dark, soil-like material made from the grass, leaves, garden prunings and other similar landscape waste picked up each week by the city’s solid waste crews. Compost frequently is used to improve the quality of lawn and garden soils.