Composting really is very simple science: all you are doing is making a habitat with organic waste, for organisms that work in the decomposition cycle. For compost is nothing more then a living ecosystem that supports a very complex community of microbes. and other such organisms. These bugs need food, water, and air to turn your waste into good compost and all you are doing is supplying this to them and letting them get on with it for a few months.

Making compost is key to my management of gardening for I consider myself an organic gardener. It is part of my daily life to save as much organic waste from my vegetable plot as well as from my kitchen. The outcome of my composting is heaps of fresh compost that I can dig back into the soil to produce healthy crops of vegetables.

I have a plot that is 55 meters long (about 150 feet) and 15 meters wide (about 49 feet) and from that plot and what I bring in from my household waste I dug in 54 wheel borrows of compost. If you consider that two wheel borrows would make one bag of compost that you might buy from the local store at £4/bag. My compost has a street value of about £40 cash. This is a very rough calculation, but it does put a price on it, just to give it a value.

It very simply terms, compost is a just a rich mix of organic matter: plant remains, kitchen waste (not meat) grass cuttings and animal manure. This is all plied together so that it rots down to a fine crumbly consistency.

Believe me this is better then anything that you can buy in a bag; the homemade compost is so full of goodness, replacing the nutrients that have been lost through your cultivation. The compost will aid your new crop to provide what every it will need to thrive.

At the same time, the compost improves the structure and texture of your soil, like nothing else. As you see, compost is nothing out of the ordinary in its make up it is just the most important addition that you can give to your vegetable garden. Making and using compost is crucial to your soil wellbeing especially where the ground is cultivated intensively.

Some of the many benefits of compost and composting:

• Compost will improve your soil structure

• Compost will help your soil retain moisture

• Composting will recycle your organic waste

• Composting will make more nutrients available to your crops

• Reduces material going into landfill sites.

• Feeding your soil with compost will save you money you might otherwise have to spend on fertilizers.

• Using your garden compost can suppresses plant diseases

• Keeps you soil in good heart.

• Compost will improve drainage practically in heavy soil

• The use of compost will make your soil much more workable

• The use of compost in your soil will attract worms to your garden, which in turn, will open up the soil to better root growth for you crop.