All About Composting

Building and maintaining a compost pile is the easiest way to become a better gardener. You will be produce prime, rich food for your garden with leaves, eggshells, orange rinds, coffee grounds, grass & more!

Compost improves soil structure. Most gardeners don't start with great soil. Whether yours is hard, sandy, stony, or wet, adding compost will improve its texture and fertility. Your soil will gradually become fluffy and brown—the ideal home for healthy plants.

Compost provides a balanced source of plant nutrients. Even if you are lucky enough to have great soil, you can't expect the soil to remain rich and productive without replenishing the nutrients each growing season. No commercial fertilizer, even one that is totally organic, provides the full spectrum of nutrients that you get with compost.

Compost stimulates beneficial organisms. Compost teams with soil fauna that help convert soil nutrients to be readily absorbed by your plants. The microorganisms, enzymes, vitamins and natural antibiotics in the compost help prevent soil pathogens from harming your plants. Earthworms & other macro-organisms tunnel thru the soil, opening up passages for air & water to reach plant roots.

Compost is garden insurance. Adding compost moderates pH and fertility. Unlike commercial fertilizers, which need to be applied at the right time and in the right amount, compost can be applied at any time and in any amount. You can't really over-apply it. Plants use exactly what they need, when they need it.

Compost is the perfect thing to spread around when creating a new garden, seeding a new lawn, or planting a tree. Compost can be sprinkled around plants during the growing season or used as a mulch in perennial gardens. You can add compost to flower boxes and deck planters. You can also use it to enrich the potting soil for your indoor plants!

For more Composting Info., check out these resources:

http://www.mofga.org/

http://www.gardeners.com/

Happy Earthing!

~Cara