Compost 101

Compost is one of the most valuable pieces of gardening. So what is it and why do you need it? Compost is sometimes called black gold. Good compost can change your garden. It’s something you can buy at the store or make at home. It can take your garden from meh to amazing.

What is compost?

Compost is a natural fertilizer made from organic matter. It is often created through the decomposition of this organic matter like kitchen scraps, yard waste, and other biodegradable materials. Composting involves the breakdown of these organic materials by natural microorganisms into dark, crumby, nutrient rich, earthy smelling dirt(ish).

How do you make it?

We can go into more detail in our next composting course, but the short version is a mixture of greens and browns. The greens are nitrogen rich items like kitchen scraps, grass clippings, and fresh garden waste. As for kitchen scraps, you want to avoid fats, meats, and dairy. Fruit, vegetables, and coffee grounds are perfect for composting. Fresh garden waste means clippings from your garden that are healthy and green. You don’t want to compost diseased leaves or branches as they can spread that disease to other plants. Brown material includes things like newspaper, cardboard, straw and dry leaves.

Add a little moisture with sprinklers or rain and the pile is going to naturally heat up to breakdown all the things inside it. Then you wait for nature to take its course. This can take some time but it’s totally worth it in the end.

Why is compost good?

Compost is good for your garden for several reasons. The main reason is it provides nutrients to your soil. Your plants need these nutrients to grow. With compost, the nutrients are provided slowly giving the plants just what they need. The main nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

It also improves your soil structure. It allows the soil to hold more water, more air, and provides better drainage. This makes it easier for the roots to access the nutrients. Compost helps balance soil PH as well. It prevents extremes in acidity or alkalinity. If you have good compost, you don’t need chemical fertilizers. This also makes your plants able to resist disease and bugs better.

Don’t overthink it

It’s easy to get caught up on all the logistics of composting but it doesn’t have to be hard. It’s really just nature doing its thing with your help. My compost pile has been a heaping pile of chicken poo with some kitchen scraps and leaves thrown on top here and there. I also have a barrel that I randomly add things to once in a while. Next spring I want to build a prettier set up, but for now this is what I’m doing and it’s fine. It just takes longer to break down this way.

I scoured the internet and found a few options for compost bins you can build. Check out this simple one HERE by Young House Love. Super Easy! These ones HERE range from simple to more involved. I love the three bin option.

Compost 101: A+

If you’ve missed any of the other courses, check back HERE to go over the basics of Gardening School 101.