Compost Now For Bountiful Gardening Returns

Many have seen the "garden uprising" in TV and newspaper accounts. Not since stagflation struck in the 1970s has there been such a surge of interest in the U.S. in growing food at home.

According to a survey recently commissioned by the iconic seed company, W. Atlee Burpee Co., a well-planned vegetable plot can produce an up to 1 to 25 percent return on investment for home gardeners. Put another way: investing $50 in vegetable seeds, slips and fertilizer (combined with some watchful tending) can generate summer-long savings of up to $1,250 at the supermarket check-out line.

For a high-yielding garden when times are tight, rely on Mother Nature's most natural, cost-effective and fool-proof fertilizer: compost.

As any seasoned gardener will attest, the single most important thing that can be done to improve gardening success is to build better soil. And the single best way to do that is to condition the soil with compost, the finest organic supplement known to humankind. Compost delivers five major benefits to the gardener, all of which help the environment:

Compost improves plant/turf quality. Compost reduces spring transplant shock and longer term, decreases plant stress response to drought, disease and insects. Because of the intense heat generated in compost piles, compost contains no weeds, insects or insect eggs/ larvae. A big plus for serious flower gardeners is that compost has been found to keep moisture levels in flower beds too high for ants. Compost also reduces salt damage and provides nutritional balance.

The benefits of compost are long-lasting. Rain and watering cause chemical fertilizers to leach out of soil. Conversely, compost binds with the soil and releases its nutrients over a multi-year period. 

Compost is economical. Just a single application can improve the efficacy of fertilizer used on lawns and gardens. 

Compost strengthens soil structure. Compost reduces the compaction of heavy soil, enhances sandy soil and increases both top-soil and soil fertility while rebuilding worn-out soil. Over time, compost makes any type of soil easier to work.

Finally, compost can hold six times its weight in water, which reduces the need for and cost of irrigation. 
Here are some ways to use compost this spring:

Add one to three cubic yards per 1,000 square feet to ready planting beds for the growing season. Add more to condition difficult soils.

Use a blend of one part compost to three parts soil to back-fill that newly planted tree or large shrub.

A three to six-inch layer of compost used as a mulch for annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs helps suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, conserve moisture and keep soil cool in summer. A bonus: compost-topped soil is a playground for earthworms, which further aerate the soil.
Will compost transform the vegetable garden overnight? No. But if used this spring, gardeners will notice the difference between compost-improved and unimproved garden beds. The compost-incorporated soil will have better texture, more worms and provide sturdier, healthier and more productive plants.

Get hands-on with compost this spring and reap the cost-savings - to say nothing of the unmatched flavor and health benefits that come with eating produce fresh from the garden - all summer long!