I'm a big fan of garden composting because it really helps the soil and it helps me recycle household waste and turn it into something useful. Compost improves soil tilth; helps maintain a neutral pH, and allows the soil to hold more nutrients and water (it can literally quadruple the soil's ability to store water). Compost is to your garden what spinach is to Popeye. Finally, compost feeds earthworms and microbial life in the soil — which, in turn, support your plants. It doesn't matter what kind of soil you have. All soils can be improved with the addition of compost.

You can compost almost all the organic matter from your household including garden cuttings, vegetable peelings and even eggshells. Any meat scraps or dairy products are a no-no. These attract rodents and can stink up your pile. Tea leaves and coffee grounds are great additions because they contain caffeine, a natural herbicide. For complete instructions on how to make compost see our composting guide.

In terms of how much compost your garden will need, it depends on soil health as well as the length of your gardening season and the amount of rain your area receives. The longer the growing season, the more compost you will need. Also in rainy climates more of the compost's nutrients will wash away during rains, so plan accordingly.

Building a Compost Pile

Composting involves mixing kitchen, yard and garden waste in a pile and providing conditions that encourage decomposition. The composting process is fueled by all kinds of microscopic organisms (bacteria, fungi) that take up residence inside your compost pile, continuously devouring and recycling it to produce a valuable soil amendment and rich organic fertilizer.

Sound complicated? It's really not. All you need to know are a few basic guidelines to keep your pile cooking.

Size. Make your pile at least 3′ x 3′ x 3′ – smaller piles may not heat properly and larger piles can become unmanageable and hard to turn (see Compost Physics).

Moisture. For best results, the moisture content of a compost pile should be between 40 and 60 percent. In other words, your pile should be moist, but not sopping wet.

Oxygen. Keep your pile aerated by turning the pile – oxygen keeps the microbes that break down your compost happy. Use a pitch fork, spade or compost turner to mix the pile often. Don't aerate your compost and it will break down slowly.

Heat. As they break down organic matter, the organisms responsible for composting generate large amounts of heat, which raises the temperature inside the pile and speeds up decomposition. A "hot" pile will produce temperatures between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ingredients. Make sure to include carbon-rich "brown" materials, like leaves, straw and sawdust and nitrogen-rich "green" materials, like grass clippings, vegetable peelings and manures (no pet droppings). When adding ingredients to your compost pile, try to mix a ratio of three parts brown materials to one part green. A well-balanced "diet" will ensure that composting doesn't take too long and that you don't end up with a slimy, smelly heap.

Applying Compost

Once you have achieved finished compost, you can add it to your garden any time of year without the fear of burning plants or polluting water. For best results, add compost at least two to four weeks before you plant. That will give it time to work its magic and integrate with your soil. Try to work the compost in at least six to eight inches deep and shoot for a ratio of compost to soil of about half to half. Also, consider "side-dressing" your rapidly growing plants with this "garden gold" during the late spring or early summer. Place the compost at the side of the plants and gently incorporate it into the soil. Keep the compost about an inch away from the stem of the plant.

Another way to get compost into your soil is by brewing compost tea. (Just don't try drinking it yourself. Ick.) Make compost tea by mixing equal parts of compost and water and let it sit. Pour the resulting "tea" directly onto the soil around your plants. If you're going to use it on smaller seedlings dilute it to four parts of water to one part compost. What's great about compost tea, is that you can just pour it on and you don't have to spend time working it into the soil. The downside is that since you're adding water, the compost is diluted. (If you don't feel like brewing your own batch, there are commercial teas that you can buy.)


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