Composting is nature’s own waste management process that nutrients are recycled back into an ecosystem. In other words, it is the process of taking organic materials, such as leaves, vegetables, fruits, logs, eggshells, coffee grounds, banana peels and dead animals and placing them in a pile or container along with water. In the composting time, you will turn your pile periodically to encourage the beneficial bacteria to thrive. This will create high heat and breaks down the natural organic materials over time into a dark, rich, fertile soil that gardeners fondly nickname Black Gold. By composting at home, we cannot only save money by not buying too much chemical fertilizers but also save the organic materials from landfills where they take up space and release methane – a greenhouse gas.

Table of Contents

• Benefits of composting
• Composting Basics
• Home Composting
• Composting Resources

Benefits of composting

One of the great ways to really jump into composting at home is to understand the value of finished compost. You have probably heard that composting is one of the easy and affordable ways to help the environment or compost will also do wonders for your plants or herbs. But what exactly is involved in it? How does composting benefit the environment? what are the benefits of composting at home? In this section, you will find answers to these questions.

Environmental Benefits of Composting

Composting reduces greenhouse gases 

Composting is an effective way to reduce methane (CH4) and other powerful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Some people believe that throwing food scraps and paper materials into a landfill is harmless because the materials biodegrade. The truth is when these materials break down in a landfill they rot anaerobically (without oxygen) and release greenhouse gases, particularly methane. A large amount of methane gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is a known contributor to global warming. In fact, methane is roughly 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, according to Princeton University.

Composting minimizes the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides

Compost is a rich source of nutrients and therefore significantly reduces or eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides that helps avoid greenhouse gases related to their production. The application of synthetic nitrogen to fields is a significant portion of nitrous oxide emissions (N2O) – a powerful greenhouse gas. Compost helps reduce the use of NO2 and other chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Protect water quality

Compost in the soil helps to keep fertilizers (a major source of water pollution) from leaching into the water. Some of the micro-organisms in compost can also bind heavy metals, again preventing them from leaching into groundwater or waterways. Compost helps soak up water and decrease runoff.  Runoff pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers to nearby streams.

Research also shows that compost energizes the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, decompose organic compounds such as plant residue, manure, and pesticides, preventing them from entering the water and become pollutants – so using compost for your garden is beneficial for both your garden and the surrounding environment.

Compost is Great for Gardens and Lawns

Improves soil structure

When it comes to improving the soil structure of your garden, there is no better way than amending your existing soil with organic matter. Compost helps improve the quality of soil by encouraging the production beneficial bacteria and fungi, which then break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Compost can also help control soil erosion both by holding onto moisture in the soil and by encouraging healthy root growth.

Adds a few nutrients

Although compost is not considered a fertilizer, it does contain some nutrients. A well-made compost may provide small amounts of the basic nutrients – usually 1-2% nitrogen, 0.6-0.9 % phosphorus and 0.2-0.5 potassium. It may also provide low levels of secondary nutrients: magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S). More importantly, it contains a wide array of trace minerals and micronutrients which are essential to plant health and are often not available in chemical fertilizers such as manganese, copper, iron, zinc.  As a result, products grown in composted soil has shown to contain more nutrient contents and be more healthy to eat.

A compost-amended garden also attracts earthworms, sow bugs, redworms, centipedes, and others. The existence of these tiny guys proves that there is still organic matter breaking down as it passes through their digestive systems and represents a balanced ecology.

Reduces Plant Diseases

According to the University of Illinois Extension, soil treated with compost tends to produce plants with fewer pest problems and are more resistant to disease as well. This helps reduce the need for various fungicides and other chemicals, most of which are toxic to humans, animals and the soil biota themselves. Through home composting, you enhance your garden’s ability to produce healthy plants while reducing your volume of trash.

Composting conserve resources and saves money

Composting Reduces Waste

In the US, about 95 percent of food scraps are thrown away and eventually end up in landfills. As you may know, food waste, in particular, produces a significant amount of the greenhouse gases when it decomposes in a landfill, but not so when composted. While you may not be able to compost all of the organic matter you generate, composting at home is still an effective way to cut down on your overall trash significantly.

Use these resources to find out more!

Composting food waste remains your best option, says UW study

Composting as a Waste Management Technique

Water conservation

When compost is added to bare soil as a thin layer, it will keep soil moisture from evaporating – a practice called top- or side – dressing. Compost helps increase soil’s ability to retain water and slowly releasing it to plants. In fact, only a 5% increase in organic material quadruples the soil’s water holding capacity.

Composting saves money

Composting can save you money in many ways. Composting can help you save money on garbage bills or water bills. In addition, when you compost, you can use them for your own garden, which means you can save money by removing the need for expensive synthetic fertilizers that destroy your soil and harm humans, animals, and the environment.

Composting Basics

For the composting process to work, four things are needed: carbon, nitrogen, water, and oxygen. You can mix and match the brown and green ingredients listed below until you find a compost recipe that works for you. Just remember the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as you build your compost pile. We often use nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) at a ratio of one part Nitrogen to three parts Carbon.

Carbon (Brown material)

Carbon is what is most needed in the pile since it helps slow the decomposition process to prevent rotting. But if you have too much carbon in your pile, the composting process will slow down or stop. Just add more nitrogen to remedy. Carbon can be found in all carbon-rich material ( Aka brown material ) such as paper, dry leaves, branches, twigs, wood chips, sawdust, straw and other dried organic material. You can cut up the large items into smaller pieces to make the process move faster.

Nitrogen (Green material)

To balance out the brown matter in the pile, you need green material. The green material contains nitrogen to help bacteria break down the ingredients. This group includes items typically thrown out in the kitchen such as eggshells, leftovers from vegetables, coffee grounds, peelings, fruit cores. Any kitchen waste can be composted, except greasy or meat. Grass clippings, leaves, seaweed and manure (Not dog and cat waste, only barnyard animals) can be used as the green material. And again, if you have too much nitrogen in the pile, your pile will start like ammonia. Add more carbon to make it work efficiently.

Water

Water is another important ingredient in a thriving compost pile. Without moisture, the microbes will go dormant. If it goes dry for too long, you organic materials will not break down at all and you’ll end up with ants or termites in your pile. If your pile is too wet, it will smell and nutrients will be washed out as the ratio of bad bacteria outweighs the good. Ideally, pick up a handful of your material, squeeze it, and only get a couple of drops out. I just water the pile until see the water coming out the bottom and check the inside of the pile every few days. The bottom and center of the pile are where most of the action takes place, so make sure to pull back the top of the pile to check for water. You will know that your compost is right if it becomes hot in the center. This is important to sterilize the organic matter and kill the weed seeds or bad diseases that may be there.

Oxygen

Oxygen is the final key ingredient in the compost. This is why turning your pile periodically is so important. You will turn your compost pile from the outside in about once a week. It reintroduces oxygen and helps break up organic material that may have matted with time. Use a shovel or a hoe to turn the compost to make sure that oxygen penetrates the compost pile and speeds the decomposition process. If oxygen can’t get to the pile, the anaerobic parts will start to build up too much nitrogen and stink or it will stop composting if the nitrogen is used up.

Add these materials to speed up composting

Some materials are full of bacteria, fungi, and worms that will speed up the composting process. Add just a small portion of one of these materials to really get the party started.

• Mushroom manure
• Well-rotted manure (not pet waste)
• Healthy garden soil
• Compost Accelerator

What not to compost?

Generally, all waste will eventually decompose. However, for gardening purposes, there are a few items you will want to avoid.

• Plant wastes or yard trimmings that have been treated with chemical pesticides: Might kill beneficial composting organisms
• Leaves and branches from black walnut trees and diseased plant matter: Diseases might survive and be transferred back to other plants
• Meats, bones, oils, fats: Oils and fats block basic compost reactions. Also, your compost pile can become a food source for unwanted animals and will smell very badly!
• Charcoal ash or Coal might contain substances harmful to plants
• Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter): Might contain parasites, pathogens, bacteria, germs and viruses harmful to humans
• Large branches, wood chips, pits: Will take more than a year to break down. Can tie up nitrogen. May have to sift compost each season.

Check with your local recycling or composting coordinator to see if these organics are accepted by your community curbside or drop-off composting program.

Composting at home: Establishing your own basic compost pile

Choose a site where you want to put up your compost pile. Clear a patch of ground about 4′ by 4′. Fence it if you want. You can easily find a book that shows you how to layer your components in great detail, but if you’re going to be mixing your compost pile in a few weeks, that’s not really necessary.

Take your brown material and shred it to 0.5 -1.5″ pieces using a sharp shovel. This will make the process move faster. Put the shreds in the spot. Take your green material and shred it up a little. Combine it with the brown material. Ideally, you will want to wait until you have enough material to make a pile at least 3′ high. A pile which is too small will also be slow.

Then, sprinkle water over the pile regularly until it is like a damp sponge. Don’t add too much water, otherwise, your pile will rot instead of compost. Check the pile every few days for water and mix it up once a week. If your compost pile looks too wet and smells, add more brown materials. If you see it looks too dry and brown, adds green materials and water to make it slightly moist. Also, in this time, monitor the temperature of the pile with a thermometer to be sure the composting process is properly working. Or simply put your hand into the middle of the pile, your compost pile should feel warm.

Once the compost no longer gives off heat and becomes brown, dry and crumbly like dark, rich soil, you can add it to your garden beds, on your lawn, in container plantings and even in your seed-starting mix as an ingredient.

What is the best time to add compost? Generally, you can add compost to your garden soil at any time, it is nearly impossible to overdo it with compost. However, it’s best used when plant and leaf growth is most rapid. Add some to your soil in early spring before planting. Side-dress all your plants with compost throughout the growing season until flowers buds form because too much nitrogen (in compost) will encourage foliage at the expense of flowers. After the seed or fruit has formed, side-dressing can resume on the same schedule until early autumn.

What do I do if my compost smells?

List of handy tools you may need:

• Composter
• Garden gloves for kids
• Containers
• Compost Thermometer
• A fork, or a Compost Aerator
• Compost starter
• Indoor pail for kitchen waste
• Books on composting

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Composting at Home appeared first on quiet hut.

Keen to get your kids into composting?

Great! Composting is fun and is ready for anyone, anywhere. Making compost is appealing to a wide range of ages. Composting is not only great for the environment, it is also an awesome science experiment that can help kids learn more about biology, life cycles, recycling, conservation.

Photo Credit

Composting is a natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material (such as leaves, grass, fruit and vegetable scraps) into a rich soil amendment known as compost. You can teach kids about this circle life and teach them how to complete it. It’s also important to teach kids the basic principles of taking responsibility for the waste they generate through recycling and composting. Making composting for kids a hands-on science experience! For kids, it will just seem like great fun.

In this article, we’re going to guide you through the ins and outs of composting and how to compost with your kids. We hope that this guide can help you, as a parent or teacher, boost your knowledge of the topic so that if the situation ever presents itself and your children ask you a more loaded question, you’ll know just what to say.

What do Kids Learn Through Composting?

In this electronic age, kids have a lot of things competing for their attention. They need time for the meaningful family connection. Composting is one of the easiest outdoor family activities that helps steer kids away from the television and tablet and engage them in good gardening activity. These activities are fun and enjoyable experiences that help kids promote communication skills and learn a lot of lessons. Here’re some more lessons kids can learn through composting:

Composting raises Kids’ environmental awareness – Composting is a great way to raise kids’ awareness of the environment by teaching them how to reduce waste. Kids learn through direct experience that they can make a difference and have a positive effect on the environment. Composting also helps kids understand the three environmental r’s (recycle, reuse and reduce). Kids learn the difference between compost and what ends up in our landfill. Kids learn what waste can be used for composting. As kids get older, they learn about the impact of the three environmental r’s on the earth. You can turn collecting compostable waste into “seek and find” compost game or involve your kids in the kitchen by teaching them what kind of kitchen scraps to save for composting.

Composting Teaches Kids Science – Although composting is simple (you just put organic matter in a compost pile and wait for it to decompose), it is a wonderful introduction into the world of science especially biology, chemistry, and physics. When kids put their organic materials into the compost pile they become curious about what will happen next. Without even realizing it, kids are learning the basic steps of the scientific process by monitoring the natural process of decomposition and recycling of organic material. Kids learn which organic materials called “Nitrogen materials”, which called “Carbon materials”. Kids learn the importance of bugs and worms and their value to our ecosystem. Kids learn how different materials breakdown by understanding the chemical process and they even learn how temperature works in the decomposition process. Composting offers wonderful science lessons right at home!

Composting Teaches Patience – Patience is virtual, and with composting, it is very important to understand that the process of decomposition can take a while. Kids have to learn to be patient when waiting for their materials to decompose. The waiting actually makes the moment they see their own biodegradable products even more exciting!

Basics of composting

What is Composting?

Composting is not a mysterious process. Natural recycling occurs on a continuous basis in the natural environment. In a forest, dead leaves fall forming the mulch that protects the soil. Over time, they decompose into nutrients which are returned to the soil to support plant growth.

Composting is a natural biological process of recycling organic materials such as food waste, leaves into a dark brown, crumbly soil that smells like a forest floor. It’s amazing nutritious for your garden and lawn. In this process, various microorganisms, including fungi, insect, and bacteria, decompose organic solid waste into simpler substances. As these beneficial microorganisms decompose organic waste they produce heat, which is why compost piles often warm and can even be seen steaming in cold weather. Under optimal conditions, a compost pile can heat up to temperatures in the range of 50-65 °C (120-150°F).

Kids conducting composting experiments can use daily temperature readings to compare how quickly the compost heats up, how hot it gets and how long it retains its heat. If you’re a teacher, you can even make this into a competition, for instance, to see whose pile reaches the hottest temperature or stays hot the longest.

If you want your compost to heat up, then some knowledge of the decomposing process is important. Chemistry is important in this natural process because for quick microbial growth, you need to add the right mix of carbon, nitrogen, and water. Physics also plays a role in composting because physical characteristics of the compost ingredients, including particle size and moisture content, affect the rate at which composting occurs.

Why Composting?

There are various reasons to make compost. Save resources, save money, reduce our impact on the environment and improve your soil. While it may take a little time to set up your own composting system, the results will be worth it. After a few months, you get a free natural fertilizer for your plants to keep them looking healthy and beautiful.

Many people often asked, “Why should I worry when my local council does food waste collections- and why do I need to compost when my waste will break down in landfill anyway?”

Here’s why: When our waste is sent to landfill, air cannot get to the organic material. Therefore as the landfill material breaks down it releases methane gas (a greenhouse gas) that contributes to climate change. However, when this same waste is composted at home where it has access to oxygen, it decomposes aerobically and it hardly produces any methane which is good for the Earth’s atmosphere.

A recent research has found that almost half of the food waste in their rubbish bins could have been composted into nutrient-rich soil. It’s even amazing to know that composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your washing machine produces in around three months, or your kettle produces annually.

And what’s more?

Integrating activities like composting into kids’ lives is a great way to help them to spend more time outdoors, connect with their food, and cooperate as a family. Composting may be work on one hand, but it can also be a fun practice. Moreover, composting is a gateway into gardening – and I can’t think of anything more fun!

What To Use To Make Compost? (Ingredients)

Some people mistakenly assume that organic matter thrown in the garbage will break down and feed the soil in the landfill. But throwing kitchen and garden scraps in the garbage means they will be surrounded by garbage and not have the proper compost recipe. Therefore, they cannot become a healthy compost for feeding the soil.

Healthy compost results from a combination of four ingredients: Brown stuff, green stuff, water, and air. You can mix and match the brown and green stuff that listed below until you find a recipe that works best for you. Just note the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio as you build your compost pile. We prefer to use carbon and nitrogen at a ratio of three parts Carbon to one part Nitrogen. You can try it with your kids too.

1. Greens – 1 Part

Greens are those with higher nitrogen and are quite wet and heavy. They rot quickly and can get stinky fast unless you balance them out with enough browns.

Nitrogen components consist of:

• Aquarium water, algae, and plants
• Dead houseplants
• Fresh grass clippings
• Green garden debris, such as spent pansies deadheaded flowers and bolted lettuce
• Vegetative kitchen scraps
• Chicken manure
• Horse manure

2. Browns – 2-3 Parts

Browns are those with higher carbon and are dry and bulky. They do not decay rapidly without green compost ingredients because they do not hold enough moisture.

Carbon components consist of:

• Brown garden debris, such as corn and sunflower stalks, dried legume plants, and dried potato and tomato vines
• Hedge prunings and twigs
• Leaves
• Pine needles

3. Water

Moisture makes the best possible conditions for the microbes to break down the material. After adding the greens and browns, water the compost pile and mix it well. You will need just enough water for the compost to be moist, not wet. In dry months, you need to add water, and in wet months you need to keep the compost pile from the rain.

4. Air

Packing layers of brown and green matters into a compost pile is not going to make compost alone. Air needs to be added by turning the compost with a rolling composter or a fork. The compost pile will become warm as the organisms work to break down the organic materials. The heat in the middle of the compost pile can reach up to 150 °F. Turning the compost every few days to introduce more air and more materials from the edges to the middle.

Add these compost amendments to speed up composting

Some materials are full of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and worms that will speed up the decomposition process. Add just a small portion of one of these materials to really get the party started.

• Healthy garden soil
• Mushroom manure
• Well-rotted manure (not pet waste)
• Compost Accelerator

What Not to Use?

Generally speaking, you can compost almost anything that is organic and was once living. However, not all organic matter is useful. There are a few items that do not decompose well and will hold up the efficiency of your compost pile. So you will want to keep them out of your compost to avoid a hassle.

For example, we keep cooked foods, meat, fish scraps and dairy’s out of our compost pile. Although these organic matters can be composted, their smell will act like a magnet for any critters and unwanted pests. We also keep large woody branches and cuttings out of our compost pile since they take too long to break down.

Keep these materials out of the compost pile:

• Diseased plants
• Dog, cat, pig, and reptile manures
• Gypsum board scraps
• Materials from the side of the road, including grass clippings and leaves,
• Coal Ash
• Colored Paper
• Inorganic Materials
• Meat, Bones, Fish, Fats, Dairy
• Synthetic Chemicals

Getting started – Composting for Kids

Composting is easy to make, but it isn’t simple as just throwing your garden and kitchen scraps into a compost pile and checking on it a year later. Eventually, those organic materials will break down and create compost, but it is much cleaner, faster and more effective knowing the proper step-by-step guide.

Are you ready to get outside and work with your kids?

Okay, let’s compost!

Step 1 – Choose a compost bin

Bins have the advantage of being neat, preserving heat and keeping animals out. You can build your own compost bin or you can buy a compost bin from many garden centers.

There are many types of bins that you can use to hold organic materials. The size and type of bin you purchase or build will depend on how much organic waste you and your family generate.

Step 2 – Choose your composter location

Choose a site that is sunny and well-drained. Most importantly you should find a site that is easily accessible year round. Place the bin over bare soil rather than paving to ensure that beneficial organisms can make their way into the compost. It’s a good idea to remove any plants and turn the soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches.

Step 3- Making great compost

Collect compostable materials which listed above in containers. You can chop materials into small pieces (the small the better). When they are full, empty their contents into the compost bin.

Where to start?

Place a 4″ to 6″ bottom layer of course material such as twigs, dead plant stalks in your composter in order to allow for drainage and aeration. Cover this layer with leaves. The simple alternate layers of garden waste and kitchen waste in 4″ to 6″ increments. Top off the compost pile with 1″ of healthy garden soil or mushroom manure.

Whenever you add food scraps or garden waste, be sure to top it with a layer of browns (Carbon materials). If you do not add carbon materials, your compost will be wet and can smell like rotten eggs or garbage. If possible, collect and store dead leaves in a garbage in the fall so you can them in your compost pile year round.

There are probably specific ways of maintaining compost depending on the type of compost bin you have chosen. Most of the composters come with instructions inside, follow these instructions for best results.

Step 4 – Add Water

Each layer gets a good sprinkling of water to wet the organic materials. You should wet each layer as you build it. Repeat each of the layers until the bin is full.

Step 5 – Maintain Your Compost Bin

Once you have a full compost bin, mix and turn the compost every 7 days or so to help the breakdown process and eliminate odor. The more you turn the pile the faster you will have finished compost!

Step 6 – Compost is ready

It takes anywhere from 3 months to 12 months to produce your healthy compost. The time it takes can vary widely depending on the materials and methods used.

Finished compost is dark and crumbly in texture and mostly broken down with a pleasant earth-like smell. To remove the compost, scoop it through the trap door on your unit. Pick out any lumps or pieces of unfinished materials and place them back into the compost bin to continue decomposing. However, for most uses, it is acceptable to have some recognizable pieces of straw remaining.

Step 7 – Use your compost

Finished compost can be used for:

• Use your compost as a top dressing for flower beds.
• Add to houseplants.
• Mix compost in with garden soil.
• Can be spread on your lawn a few times a year.
• Make compost tea. Fill an old pillowcase or cheesecloth with 1 liter of compost. Tie the top and “steep” the bag overnight in a garbage can filled with water. The compost tea is nutrient rich for watering your plants and garden.

What do I do if my compost smells?

List of handy tools you may need:

• Composter
• Garden gloves for kids
• Containers
• Compost Thermometer
• A fork, or a Compost Aerator
• Compost starter
• Indoor pail for kitchen waste
• Books on composting

Good luck and have fun!

The post A Complete Guide to Composting for Kids appeared first on quiet hut.

The healthy garden soil is absolutely essential to a successful garden. Without rich, healthy soil, your careful efforts at sewing, planting, tending your garden will be in vain. Soil provides the nutrients, water and some air needed for plant growth and development, so it’s worth spending time trying to improve its quality.  Moreover, when garden soil is fertile and nutrient-packed, there is less need for fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Reducing or eliminating the need for these chemicals not only benefits our health, it can also help protect the environment in numerous ways.

Learning about the soil and ways to make healthy soil will help you to produce the healthiest food. And also makes you a much better gardener.

Table of Contents

• What makes healthy soil
• Steps to Improving your garden soil

What makes healthy soil?

Soil Texture

Soil texture is a good place to start when you look at you garden soil. Understanding your soil’s texture helps you know more the possible restrictions on your particular site as well as any advantages. Which means you can make informed decisions about plant choices, irrigation design, and soil improvement measure much more easily.

Soil texture is the percentage of sand, clay and silt particles a particular soil has.

• Sand has the largest particles, visible to the naked eye. Sand drains so well and does not compact easily. Water, air, and roots can move freely in sandy soils, sometimes too much so.
• Silt particles are much smaller than sand and they are irregularly shaped like sand particles. They make soil feel slippery.
• Clay particles are microscopic and make soil feel smooth. They pack together tightly, leaving little to no room for water, air or roots.

Texture has an important influence on the soil’s:

• water and nutrient-holding capacity
• root penetration
• susceptibility to erosion.

How Do I Tell What Texture My Soil Is?

You don’t need to be an expert to determine your soil texture. You can determine your soil texture by making a ball of damp garden soil. If it falls apart easily when you rub it in the palm of your hand, it’s a sandy soil. A silt soil will form a ball, but it will crack when you try to roll it out into a ribbon. If you can make it a long ribbon, you have mostly clay.

Sandy soils have a tendency to drain so well – water and nutrients rapidly drain through the soil, often before plants have a chance to absorb them. For this reason, these soils are usually nutrient-poor. Clay soils often have the opposite problem  – can be hard to work and slow draining.

You can use compost as a treatment for both problems. The organic materials in the compost act as a sponge, holding water and nutrients in the soil for plants to access them. For the clay soils, it opens up the porous structure allowing water to move around.

It’s also important to note that soil texture cannot be changed. It is impossible to sift out individual and, silt and clay particles to make a practical difference in your particular piece of land. Also, don’t try to change your soil texture by adding clay to sand or vice versa. It is best to work with what you have and improve other aspects of a given soil.

Soil Structure

Whereas the texture of the soil is the relative proportion of three soil particle types (sand, silt, and clay), the structure of the soil refers to the arrangement of these soil particles into units of different sizes and shapes and the pore spaces that are left between them (also called soil aggregates). They are bound together by chemical, physical, and biological processes.

While the soil texture is inherent and difficult to change, so to build high-quality soil, we can influence the soil structure with our soil improvement measure. When we plow, lime, add organic material or stimulate biological activity, we change our soil structure.

As mentioned above, sandy soils have good drainage but the low organic material and low clay content, so aggregate stability is often difficult to maintain. In contrast, clay soils have large aggregates that there is insufficient pore space to allow root hairs to grow between them.

Horticulturally speaking, the structure of the soil can be “good” or “bad” and can be improved or degraded by how we use the soil. Soil structure can be blocky, columnar or structure such as a massive clay soil. A good soil structure is soft and crumbly that has a wide range of pore spaces or empty space between the soil particles. This produces a good network of soil pores that have good drainage and aeration that allows for rapid exchange of water and air with plant roots.

Generally, the increased structure is related to texture and enhances the availability of oxygen and water to roots and facilitates root penetration.

There are two basic ways to improve soil structure.

1. Organic matter – compost and mulch – can improve any type of soil. It enriches the soil and provides food for the soil-dwelling insects.
2. Preventing compaction and disturbance of the soil.

It’s worth mentioning that tilling is a double-edged sword. Although it can help loosen soil structure, repeated tilling destroys aggregates and kills the insects living there. Depending on the site, the existing soil structure will need improvement. A simple test of soil structure called the slake test is outlined in a publication from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRDC). Consult a soil science specialist for further details.

Water-Holding Capacity

Soil water-holding capacity water is simply the amount of water that a given soil can hold between field capacity – the time it is fully saturated but drained and the permanent wilting point (it is so dry that plants die).

The water-holding capacity is also one of the most important characteristics of healthy garden soils. Soils that hold a lot of water are less subject to leaching losses of nutrients and pesticides. This is true because a soil with a limited water holding capacity (i.e. sandy soils) is saturated with water much sooner than a soil with a high available water holding capacity (i.e. clay soils). After a soil reaches the saturation point, all of the excess water and some nutrients in the soil are leached into groundwater or waterways.

Sandy and clay soil will have different water holding capacities. As you may know, sandy soils will not be able to store as much water for crop use between rains. Since soil water holding capacity is controlled primarily by the soil texture and the soil structure, it’s important for gardeners and farmers to understand the soil structure and how to manage it so that the garden/farm does not need to suffer from a drought or irrigate.

Generally, the higher the percentage of clay and silt particles, the higher the water holding capacity. The amount of organic matter in the soil also influences the available water holding capacity due to the affinity of organic matter for water. When the level of organic matter increases in the soil, the soil water holding capacity also increases. By adding the stable organic matter – such as compost, manure, cover crops to soils, you can significantly improve the water holding capacity of your soil. In the long term, you may want to consider rotation to sod and reduced tillage.

Nutrient levels

Soil nutrients come from many sources including decaying organic material, soil organisms, and fertilizer. Soil nutrients which require by plants include:

• Primary (macro) nutrients: nitrogen – is largely responsible for healthy leaf and steam growth, phosphorus – very important for root growth and potassium – is needed for overall plant health.
• Secondary nutrients: calcium, magnesium, sulfur.
• Micronutrients : boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

A soil lab analysis will help you understand more about your soil nutrients. Keep in mind that nitrogen – which is essential to plant health and growth, is extremely mobile, so a soil test will only give you a snapshot of the nitrogen levels present on the day of sampling. A competent gardener can also get an idea of possible nutrient deficiencies or sufficiencies by observing the health of plants in the garden.

Soil pH

Soil pH is a measure of the soil alkalinity or acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14 with 7 as the neutral mark, decreasing with rising acidity and increasing with rising alkalinity. The scale is logarithmic, so a pH of 5 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 6, but a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than 7.

Why does soil pH matter?

The reason soil pH matters is that most nutrients in the soil are only available to plants if the soil pH falls into an acceptable range. For example, Potassium, sulfur, nitrogen, iron, magnesium are are are available along with a broader range of acidity, while the availability of manganese, boron, zinc, copper, phosphorus lessens as alkalinity increases.

Most plants prefer a pH of 6.2 to 7 (slightly acidic to neutral), which is also where soil nutrients are most available. Some plants are more specific in their requirements. Some “acid-loving” plants can grow in the soil which has a pH as low as 5.5, and some can grow above 7.5.

Additionally, soil pH influences microorganic activity that contributes to the decomposition process of organic matter. A neutral pH is ideal for microbial activity that reflects microbiological processes of soil microorganisms as plants rely on soil microorganisms to mineralize organic nutrients for growth and development.

Soil pH

Since soil pH is essential to plant growth, testing pH levels is important, especially when growing a garden for the first time in new soil whose acidity is unknown. If the soil pH is not within a certain range for the plants you are growing, the plants will not be able to get the nutrients in the soil, no matter how much you feed them. This can be done using a home kit or you can bring a soil sample into your local country extension, to be tested for a nominal fee.

Once you know what your soil pH is, you can begin to adjust it slowly. Depending upon your soil and test results, you can add some form of sulfur to lower the soil pH and form of lime to raise it. Also, remember that it can take months to moderate the pH of your soil and then it requires a little effort every year to maintain it.

Again, adding organic matter every year can help balance the soil out whether it is acidic or alkaline. Lime or sulfur may be used to moderate the pH of the topsoil layer but will do nothing to alter the subsurface pH. Moreover, clay soils have a high resistance to changes in soil pH so more amendment may be needed than is practical. Sometimes, it is easier to simply choose the plants to suit your soil pH – a local horticulturalist can be very helpful.

Steps to Improving your garden soil

1. Soil Testing

The first step to improve your soil’s quality is understanding what you have to work with. Good crop production often requires the application of organic matter, lime, and fertilizer. A soil test can help you know each of the following attributes of the soil.

• Current pH levels of your soil
• Some soil tests even detect the amount of organic matter
• Type and quantity of lime your soil needs
• Fertility levels of the principal nutrients
• Nutrients need to be added to your soil
• Amount of fertilizer your soil needs

Know the exact nutrient levels in the soil allows us to amend the soil properly for the best crop production possible.

2. Supply What’s Missing

After testing your garden soil, you can determine your garden’s fertilizer needs. Commonly, after years of soil building and planting, the organic soil recycles and retains most nutrients, that helps reduce or eliminate added fertilizer needs. But when growing a new garden, you want to add a certain amount of fertilizers and lime to make sure proper nutrition for the season ahead. If you’ve missed the fall window to supply fertilizers and lime, add them a couple of weeks before plating in spring.

3. Adjust Soil pH

Once you have your garden soil tested, you will know whether you have a soil pH imbalance. If your soil is alkaline, you will get a recommendation for adding gypsum, sawdust, composted leaves or elemental sulfur to lower the soil pH. If it is too acidic, using limestone, bone meal or crushed oyster shells to raise the alkalinity. This is easy enough to do and should be done in stages, so as not to shock your plants.

4. Adjusting Soil

Most of us are not blessed with a perfect soil naturally. Your garden soil might be too sandy or too clayey. As I said, it’s impossible to change the soil texture, but we can improve our soil quality by influencing our soil structure – it just takes some time to properly adjust soil.

And the easy and affordable way is to mix organic matter into the soil and mix well. Since it takes time for the decomposition process to occur, this technique is best exercised in the autumn. Some people even add liquid nitrogen to the mixture to speed up the decomposition process.

Adding high-quality organic potting soil is another way to improve your soil while it helps promote strong root development and plant growth. You may want to mix potting soil at least 8″ – 12″ deep into existing soil. It may take some work but it is worth the effort when your garden begins to take off in the high-quality soil.

Also, try to avoid stepping or pulling wheelbarrows over your garden bed as much as possible since it is one of the best ways to destroy the soil structure. Stepping in the garden beds is the main causes of soil compaction –  making it more difficult for plant roots to grow.

5. Adding organic matter

I’ve said it before and I will say it again now: Organic matter is the single best thing you can do to improve soil quality right now.

Whether your soil is sandy, clayey, low in nutrients, has poor drainage, compacted…organic matter can help.

According to PennState Extension “Soil organic matter (SOM) is a complex of diverse components, including plant and animal residues, living and dead soil microorganisms, and substances produced by these organisms and their decomposition. SOM influences the chemical, biological, and physical properties of the soil in ways that are almost universally beneficial to crop production. The most common sources of SOM in farming are crop residues, cover crop residues, manures, and composts.”

That said, adding organic matter to the garden soil improves the soil structure, increases the available nutrients, and feeds the beneficial microorganisms and insects in your soils. These little guys can feed on harmful microbes like certain soil born diseases and nematodes. They also provide some nutrients into the soil when they die. So the more beneficial microorganisms your soil can support, the more nutrients will be in the soil and the less bad organisms will survive.

So what should you be adding to your garden soil? Compost is highly recommended.

Not only is compost full of organic nutrients that will improve your soil immediately, but the composition of well-made compost provides better water drainage and aeration in just about every type of soil imaginable.

Compost can be used in your garden beds at any time, either turned into the soil or top dressing for established plants. You can add it to your garden soil at the beginning of the planting season and side-dress your plants with compost throughout the growing season.

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