Why compost is so good for your soil
Soil needs nutrients and this is one reason why compost is so good for your soil. It provides good bacteria for beneficial insects and is an excellent soil amendment.
Green manure
Compost consists of organic matter- plant material such as grass clippings, dead leaves, food scraps (no meat or grease) peelings and cores. These are known as ‘green manure’. We’ll get to the other manure in a minute. Add some shredded newspaper and cardboard. That is pretty much your compost ingredient list. Next, we’ll start the decompostion into compost by adding a little water; just enough to moisten not soak. Also known as ‘black gold‘, compost provides rich nutrients that can feed vegetable and flower gardens.
So now we have the basis as to why compost is so good for your soil. It’s really returning to the earth what we have reaped as rewards. It’s not difficult to make your own compost, but if space is a premium (and it is for me) you can find bagged, organic compost at a well-stocked home center. Some local towns may offer compost, along with mulch to its residents.
The other manure
Now, let’s get back to the other manure- that of chicken, cow or horse. Definitely not to be added directly to the garden in its, uh, ripe state. Any manure has to be ‘aged’ or allowed to sit for at least six months before you can add it to your compost pile. If you add it before it has aged sufficiently, you will most likely burn your plants. Needless to say, I advise aging manures over winter to avoid offending the neighbors.
Black Gold for Soil
If you don’t have the outdoor space to make a compost pile, there is a plethora of online resources that sell ‘tumbler’ composters. These look like barrels on a frame that are turned or rotated. Tumblers can produce a fairly quick, finished compost in little more than a season. The bonus is they require very little yard space. I don’t receive any compensation for the following links, but I have used something like this and this one.
Black Gold
The organic matter, moisture, oxygen and bacteria all work together to bring about the transformation into ‘black gold’. And this is why compost is so good for your soil. It is rich in nutrients and benefical bacteria. In spring, spread it liberally over planting beds prior to planting. This is known as ‘top-dressing’; your garden will receive a healthy boost and the soil will soak up all the nutrition.
