Compost is an organic way to benefit your plants and soil and reduce waste.

A big part of gardening is making sure your soil is healthy enough to sustain good plants this year and will continue to support new plants year after year. While inorganic fertilizer will provide a quick and immediate boost to your plants, organic fertilizer will provide nutrients to your plants over time and also help beneficial microorganisms grow in your soil to help plants in the following years. Compost is a commonly used organic product that can benefit your plants now and down the road.

Compost is made of decaying organic matter, including manure, leaves and other plant remnants. Many common household items can serve as compost, which not only benefits plants, it reduces your waste. Fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed egg shells, coffee grounds, lawn clippings and even shredded paper and cardboard are among the many things that can be put to good use instead of being thrown away. These items can release carbon or nitrogen into the soil to help you keep a healthy garden.

Compost is available for purchase in bags, but it is harder to find than a typical inorganic fertilizer. Most hardware stores and even many plant nurseries will not carry compost. If you want to purchase compost you may need to find a nursery that specializes in organic gardening or order compost on line.

If you want to make your own small compost pile at home, the first thing you will need is a composting bin to store all the materials in. You can use a metal trash can and lid with holes drilled at specific intervals or simply buy a bin. Then layer in compost materials with a combination of carbon-rich materials, such as branches, dry leaves and wood ash, and nitrogen-rich materials including vegetable scraps, lawn clippings and green leaves. Turning the compost over once in a while will help it break down for use faster. A tumbler or bin designed for compost will turn, making it an easy chore and getting your compost ready in two to three weeks.

Creating your own compost can be a fun part of creating and tending to a good garden and an efficient and useful way to dispose of a lot of household waste products that would otherwise be thrown away or run down the garbage disposal. If you don’t have the time to devote to creating compost, it is also available for purchase. Either way, adding compost to your garden will help you grow strong, healthy plants for years.