by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | Compost! There are few processes more satisfying than creating the good stuff in a bin over time. Leaving food scraps, leaves, and other organic matter to break down over time into a soil-like substance called “humus” is hugely rewarding. It’s a cycle that goes from your garden’s veggies (or the farmers market’s), to the table, to the compost, and ultimately back into the soil to feed your veggies, that in turn go back to the table, back to the compost and…well, you know what we mean.

It’s fascinating how matter is broken down by an ecosystem of critters and micro-organisms into a relatively odourless composition that is light and rich. Compost feeds the soil, improves its structure (have clay soil?) and increases its aeration, moisture, and nutrient retention.

One thing to note when composting is that a balanced ratio of matter needs to be incorporated: 50-50 brown, dry (the carbon ratio) to green, wet (the nitrogen ratio). What is brown? Hay and leaves, for instance. What is wet? Food scraps, for example, or grass clippings. Always ensure that your compost elements are organic. Temperature, moisture, and other factors need to be considered as well.

Restoring and maintaining the fertility and balance of your soil is one of the top guarantors of garden success. And spring is the time for spreading the good stuff all over the place. It’s when we amend the soil with the nutrients veggies need before we begin to plant – which, by the way, is now.

Add approximately 2” of compost to your soil and work it into the top layer before planting. We also like to add a dusting of organic all-purpose granular fertilizer at this time as well, depending on what we are planting in a given area.

THE VICTORY GARDENS ARCHIVE

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.