If you have the space, build your own compost bin with lumber—the closer to the vegetable garden the better. You could cover the heap to prevent moisture loss while also keeping the rain out.
Organic matter in the form of compost and well-rotted animal manures is an essential addition to all vegetable-garden soils. Whatever type of soil you have—clay, sandy, loam—it will be improved by adding these soil conditioners.
Making your own compost is simple and a great way to recycle the green waste your household produces. You can use a purpose-built compost bin or build your own 1 x 1-m (3 x 3-ft) bin from wood, iron, or even straw bales. Use mesh as a base for open bins to stop vermin. Then add your kitchen vegetable scraps and shredded garden prunings along with dry material such as straw, deciduous leaves, shredded paper, and even garden soil. Add composting worms to hasten the breakdown.
The key to success in making compost is to achieve a balance between fresh or wet materials (described as green) and dry materials (brown). It is also vital that you keep the pile sufficiently moist during hot weather and turn it regularly to aerate it. After initially working compost through your soil to a fork’s depth, you don’t need to dig subsequent annual applications into the soil. They can simply be laid on top, like a mulch.
Worm farms are another way to recycle kitchen waste. They produce a liquid leachate that can be diluted to the color of weak tea and used as a liquid soluble fertilizer. The solid matter known as worm castings or vermicompost can be applied directly to the soil as a soil improver.
If you keep chickens, feed them your kitchen scraps, then use their manure, rotted down and mixed with straw, in your compost system.
If you have the space, build your own compost bin with lumber—the closer to the vegetable garden the better. You could cover the heap to prevent moisture loss while also keeping the rain out.
Poultry manure is alkaline and should always be rotted before use. Its smell can make it unsuitable for city gardens or apartment living.
• Weeds and plants (cut seed heads off first)
• Coffee grounds and tea leaves
• Eggshells
• Lawn clippings
• Manure
• Shredded paper and cardboard
• Straw and hay
• Horse-stable litter
• Spent potting mix
• Uncooked kitchen vegetable waste, such as fruit and vegetable peelings
• Dead flowers
• Shredded twigs and branches
• Plant trimmings
• Glossy paper or magazines
• Detergents and chemical products
• Diseased plant material
• Perennial weeds
• Scraps of food that will attract vermin, such as meat
• Thick paper or cardboard unless shredded
Green manures are a great way to improve the fertility and productivity of your soil. Sow seeds of different legumes such as fava beans, clover, rye, and annual grasses in autumn for a lush winter crop, then dig this into the soil as the plants start to flower, before they become woody. Their deep root systems retrieve mineral nutrients from the subsoil and bring them closer to the surface, and they also fix nitrogen. Once dug in, they make good quantities of high-protein organic matter and nitrogen available for your next crop. Dig them in at least four weeks before planting vegetables in the bed and turn the bed over again if necessary to hasten their breakdown. These green manures also cover the soil and suppress weeds in the winter months while at the same time keeping the soil active and “sweet.”
Mulch helps to reduce the number of weeds and insulates the soil, which keeps plant roots cool and soil microbes happy. Mulch also conserves soil moisture and reduces the need for watering in summer. Always use organic mulches in the vegetable garden, as they help improve the soil’s organic content. You can sift your compost and use the coarse parts as mulch or buy straw or alfalfa mulches.
Organic mulch acts as insulation on the soil surface. It stops the soil from drying out quickly and helps to keep the soil organisms happy and healthy.
Feeding your vegetable garden regularly is essential if it is to be highly productive, because veggies are heavy feeders. While there are many different fertilizers, the two main groups are organic-based fertilizers and inorganic or artificial fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are manufactured from naturally occurring products such as animal manures or animal waste by-products; they provide nutrients while also improving the soil. Inorganic fertilizers are manufactured from minerals or chemicals and feed crops more directly with particular nutrients, though they do nothing for the overall soil structure.
Fertilizers are either liquid or solid in form. The main difference is that liquid products are best used on your vegetables every two to three weeks, while the solid, pelleted products are applied every few months or at least seasonally, as they break down slowly to give a sustained, slow-release effect.
Plant tonics
Often confused with fertilizers, plant tonics have a valuable effect on plant growth and health, especially during the establishment phase for new seedlings and plants. Based on kelp or seaweed, they help plants to establish healthy root systems and overcome transplant shock, increase their immunity to pest and disease problems, increase flower and fruit production, and help them cope with drought and frost.
Living soil
Good soil is full of microorganisms, including beneficial fungi, bacteria, and protozoa, and visible organisms such as earthworms. They have many vital functions: they improve the structure and water- and nutrient-retaining capacity of soils, help to break down organic material into compounds that plants can use, and make mineral nutrients available to plants for their optimal growth. The addition of organic matter to the soil and organic mulches to the soil surface feeds and insulates these living soil organisms.
