Tips for Enriching Your Garden Soil

An enriched soil is an indispensable requirement for a fantastic garden. Flourishing plants are a delight to the soul. An affordable means of improving the quality of your garden soil is making your own fertilizer. This cost-saving process can be clean and easy if done the right way. It is waste management by recycling. The results are as complete as that of inorganic fertilizers, yet it lasts longer and is safer because it is organic. Making your organic fertilizer will be hassle-free if you pay attention to these three things:

1. Get a good container: A proper container will help you hold all the decomposing materials that you are going to use. Your bin doesn't have to be fancy or decorative; it just needs to be able to keep all the elements together while bacteria works on them. The kind of bin that works is one that retains both heat and moisture as both are essential to the process. You can purchase a compost bin from any gardening store near you. The container should be situated in the sun so that it gets maximum heat.
2. The right ingredients and preparation process: Your compost should be a combination of brown and green plant materials along with some moisture so the bacteria can get to work in a conducive atmosphere. Use items like newspapers, dry leaves, and wood shavings, kitchen waste (not including meat, however), and grass cuttings to start the compost. Other items that should go in your compost bin include fruit and vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, cut grass, and wood. Some items are not good composting materials because they cause pests infestation. Avoid things like meat, fish and dairy products as they will attract rats and raccoons to your compost bin. Also, avoid diseased plant materials as these will transfer pests to the soil. Also, avoid animal feces. Always add even layers of green and brown materials for excellent balance and an even flow of moisture.
3. The composting procedure: Add water to the compost pile regularly; you are aiming for the consistency of a wet sponge so be careful not to add too much water. Keep turning the pile with a pitchfork every two weeks to make sure the process is going as expected. The mix should always be warm, around 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Final use: Your fertilizer is ready to be added to your garden soil when it no longer gives off heat. You can then apply it to your garden and flower pots up to about five inches of thickness. Following these basic steps will help you to enrich your garden soil organically. A beautiful lawn and garden add curb appeal to any home.