Fruits, vegetables, or flowers – it does not matter; great-quality soil will determine the success of your garden. One of the best ways to achieve that is – composting. By composting you will not only feed the soil, but you will also reduce organic waste, which in this case is not waste for you, but food for the soil.
Not every season requires the same soil preparation and maintenance, so let's see how to achieve a beautiful garden all year round.
What composting means is the process in which organic matter (kitchen scraps, yard waste with leaves) is broken down into a nutrient-rich substance that helps soil support plant life. If you put compost into your soil, you will be improving it, simply because you’ll be putting in moisture and minerals (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) which serve as nutrients.
Compost also "aerates" the soil, bringing oxygen to the roots of the plants.
In the past, compost producers and people themselves were just trying to compost away seasonal weather changes that would rob away valuable soil. According to GreenMatters and Lawnstarter, these composting programs (curbside, mandatory, voluntary, pilot) helped. Different areas have their own forms of composting programs; here are some:
By adding compost to the soil, you increase organic matter by 5% and encourage 20 times more water retention because compost acts like a sponge.
Spring is the time of awakening of nature and animals, but also of mood. Let's wake up the soil in your garden as well.
First, test how compacted and depleted it is to know how much compost to add to make it loose and rich in nutrients. By now, all the prunings, dry leaves, and weeds that you have collected from the yard make excellent compost ingredients.
Feel free to add kitchen scraps. The compost can either be spread in thin layers on the beds or mixed with soil for loosening at the same time.
We don't know if you’re a fan of summer or not, but as much as we love summer, it can really do some serious harm to the plants and the soil that do not handle above-average heat too well.
Spread a layer of compost as mulch on the surface to help plants retain moisture and cool down the soil underneath (it’s going to also serve as a UV and heat shield). Remember to periodically aerate the compost pile to prevent excessive heat buildup. If you want to refresh the compost, you can always sprinkle it with some freshly cut grass and/or blooming flowers.
Autumn is actually the most ideal time of year to make compost. The leaves are falling off, the garden is being cleaned of vegetable scraps, the crops are harvested – and now, what are you going to do with all that "waste"? So chop it up and make compost. You can also add freshly cut grass for balance.
In the autumn, you can add a generous layer of compost to your garden beds, which serve as a protective blanket over the winter. Plus think of the fact that it not only protects the soil from cold and erosion but also keeps it enriched so that after the cold it’s not too depleted.
Even though the external activities of plants are slowed down during the winter (as with us humans), the whole process does not actually stop. And your composting doesn't have to stop either. Containers in which you can throw kitchen waste or if you find some outdoor plants will help you in this process.
In these containers composting is slowed down but it still happens, so when the time comes, you will have (at least some) compost ready. Be ready for spring because we have closed the whole circle here.
Composting turns garden waste into something truly valuable and nutritious, but for best results, there are some guidelines to follow – balance green and brown waste (1:2 ratio), turn your compost pile regularly, and don't add meat, dairy, or diseased plants, as they can degrade the quality and attract pests.
