Organic Green Spot Gardening

Compost  when properly produced is  dark, crumbly, decomposed organic matter that smells like the earth.  The finished product is humus and is a treasure for the organic gardener.

Compost enriches soil  and improves plant growth when it helps break down heavy clay soils .  The ability to hold water and add nutrients to the soil will aid in plant growth.

Many gardeners fail to make use of their yard wastes and miss an opportunity to improve plant yields.  The following yard wastes are easily added to the compost pile.

• Grass clippings
• old plants and their potting soil
• flowers
• weeds that do not spread
• small twigs
• wood chips

However, there are some organic wastes that should not be added to the compost pile.

• large branches
• lumber that has been treated, painted, or preserved
• dog and cat waste
• weeds spread by runners like morning glory
• diseased plants or insect infested plants
• meat, fish, or dairy products (vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, tea leaves, eggshells are fine)
• weeds gone to seed