Building fertile soil to grow healthy, productive plants is the organic gardener’s ultimate goal. You can improve the appearance and nutritional value of your garden soil by adding organic waste such as fallen leaves and fresh grass clippings, by composting yard and kitchen waste, and by using castings from earth worms (called vermicompost).
The fertility of your soil also can be affected by how often you till the soil and the kinds of mulches you use.
One of the simplest methods of adding nutritious material to your garden beds is by incorporating well composted vegetation directly onto and into the soil. Composting mimics and intensifies nature’s recycling plan.
A compost pile starts out as a diverse pile of kitchen and garden “waste,” and matures into what soil scientists call "biologically active organic matter": a dark, crumbly soil amendment that’s rich with beneficial fungi, bacteria and earthworms, as well as the enzymes and acids these life-forms release as they multiply.
