Want the best looking plants, garden, and even lawn in the neighborhood?
We’ve got one word for you: COMPOST! COMPOST! COMPOST!
Ok, three words. But, that is how important compost is to the health of your soil.
Photo courtesy of suavehouse113 at Flickr.com.
Compost restores the natural balance of soil, and increases its organic matter, resulting in soil with better texture and more nutrients. This is healthy soil you want, naturally. Check out this excerpt from USA Today’s article about composting at Rodale Institute, dedicated to sustainable farming. Here they compare two handfuls of soil, one with compost and one without:
“The soil that is very dark is enriched with compost and is very rich in carbon,” he says. “It’s also associated with a greater ability to retain both water and air in the soil and to stimulate and feed the beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
“In my other hand, (the soil) is kind of brown and has much less ability to do those environmental services. The black matter in the garden soil is actually coming from plants. It’s carbon dioxide that’s being converted into humus, which is the stable organic matter that enriches and improves our soil system.”
Add compost to your soil two to three times a year and you will not need to fertilize…
Composting, in itself, is a complex system. But composting is easy! It doesn’t get much easier than with the Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler. This compost bin is designed to just flip over after putting in appropriate kitchen scraps and yard waste. Also, check out these helpful books on composting: Home Composting Made Easy and Improving Your Soil.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a yard or space to compost; there are indoor composters, too. Here’s a thought: challenge your office to recycle completely and compost in the office! Automatic indoor composters work pretty quickly. Every ten days, a different coworker scores the compost! Just make sure they’re not your neighbor, so your yard will still be the best on the block!
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