• Nigerian Dwarf Senior Does
  • Nigerian Dwarf Bucks
  • Nigerian Dwarf Kids By Year
    • 2019 Goat Kids
    • 2018 Goat Kids
    • 2017 Goat Kids
    • 2016 Goat Kids

Better Hens & Gardens

of Bramblestone Farm

  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Publication Credits
  • Contact
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart

Skills for Self-Reliance, Real Foods & Sustainable Living

  • Chickens
    • Basic Care
    • Breeds
    • All About Eggs
    • Feeding
    • Health Issues
    • Housing
  • Farm
    • Farm news
    • Help
    • Structures
    • Wild Things
  • Garden
    • Ornamentals
    • Seeds & Saving Them
    • How To Grow “X”
    • Starting Plants
    • Preparation & Tools
    • Pest Control
    • Varieties To Try
  • Goats
    • Basic Care
    • Conformation
    • Doe & Kidding Care
    • Feeding
    • Herd Basics & Behavior
    • Milk & Milking
    • Supplies & Equipment
  • Honey Bees
    • Feeding
    • Getting Started
    • Hive Management
    • Honey & Wax
  • Homemade
    • Beauty Products
    • Cleaning Supplies
    • Decorations
    • Miscellaneous
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Main Dish
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Vegetables
  • Pantry
    • Quality Choices
    • Canning
    • Condiments & Flavorings
    • Dairy
    • Drying
    • Freezing
    • Root Cellaring

Better Hens and Gardens may earn a commission for purchases made after clicking on links on this page. Learn More

2 Comments

Why Compost Is Good For Gardens

How I Learned Compost Is Good For Gardens

I learned about natural vegetable production early – it was the way my grandfather, who’d grown up farming, raised vegetables every summer to feed us.

Annually, grandpa grew a bountiful garden that provided produce all year long. He started by adding composted horse manure (what he called “garden gold”) from the neighbor’s stable to the same sunny patch of land each year.

Compost Ready For The Garden

Compost Ready For The Garden

Then he’d plant his favorite varieties, often saved from the previous year’s harvest. Subsequent plant growth was rapid and lush, there were few disease or pest problems, and what wasn’t consumed fresh was canned or cellared for later use.

His system didn’t require chemical fertilizers, insecticides, or herbicides. The horses processed hay and grass into manure; and when that manure was composted and returned to the soil, it returned fertility and friability.

The fertile, friable soil promoted quick, healthy plant growth; and healthy plants seldom succumb to pests and disease.

Grandpa used crop rotation (see Crop Rotation – A Simple System for how to do that) which further minimized the chance of pest and disease problems.

And by saving seeds from his favorites each year; these varieties slowly developed local disease and insect resistance while gradually becoming better adapted to local climate and soil conditions (see Why Heirloom Vegetables Are Better For The Garden for more on this).

Grandpa learned his system from his father, who’d had it passed down through countless ancestors before him. Instead of adding costly chemical inputs, they used processes that mimicked nature.

Fall Garden

Garden Beds Prepared For Winter

How Compost Improves Your Garden

It all comes down to improving the soil. That’s how compost is good for your garden!

Since our goats and chickens are producing “garden gold” for us, we’re gardening the same way my grandpa did. Each fall, as winter approaches, I add composted goat and chicken bedding to the garden beds. Then we add a thick layer of chopped leaves and let nature work over the course of winter (see the photo of garden beds prepared for winter above).

Composting Garden Plants Spring 2014 Small

Seedlings Planted Into Garden Beds With Compost Added Around Them

In the spring, I plant my seeds and vegetables directly into the garden beds (we don’t till the soil). Then add more composted bedding around the individual plants and cover the beds with grass clippings (we also use only organic lawn products).

When we first started gardening here, the ground was compacted clay, and our produce struggled. But after several years of using composted manure, letting the vegetable roots create airways in the soil, and using leaves or grass clippings to conserve moisture, the improvement in the soil and produce production is incredible.

The soil has become fertile and friable. I never used to see worms or insect life in the soil, but now every shovel full contains worms and insects. The plants grow quickly and we seldom have any issues with disease or pests. We used to have issues with many pests (flea beetles, potato beetles, squash bugs, cabbage loppers, etc.), but by following grandpa’s methods, they’ve gradually disappeared.

Mulching After Composting Spring 2014 Small

So, crop rotation, saving seeds, and mulching to conserve moisture are all important elements in growing a great garden. But the one thing that is really crucial is improving the soil. And for that, my grandpa was right, compost truly is “garden gold”!

We’re fortunate to have the compost from the goats and chickens; however, anyone can create compost for their garden – here’s one resource on how – Composting At Home.


Related posts:

Attracting Beneficial Wildlife to Your Garden
Controlling Squash Bugs Organically
Making 2022's Seed Starting & Planting Schedule (w/downloadable template)
524 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

Filed Under: Garden, Preparation & Tools

About Lesa

Lesa raised Nigerian Dwarf goats, Buckeye chickens, honey bees, and produce on her small farm in northeastern Ohio. Since 2010, Lesa's writing has inspired new homesteaders on their journey to more sustainable lifestyles via this website.

« Keeping Roosters – Should You?
Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread »

Comments

  1. Garden Insider says

    June 5, 2021 at 3:25 am

    Yes, compost is very important for garden. My father has use compost in our garden, now I am using compost. I think compose is the food for soil.

    Reply
  2. Carol says

    May 28, 2020 at 1:03 am

    I agree, compost is so important in helping a garden thrive!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Oh, hi there! I’m Lesa,

and this blog is all about learning new skills around chickens, goats, gardens, honey bees, and DIY. Read more…

Read My Dairy Goat Books

  • Nigerian Dwarf Goats 201: Getting Started
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $6.99
  • Nigerian Dwarf Goats 101 Nigerian Dwarf Goats 101: Background & Basics
    Rated 4.95 out of 5
    $4.99

Visit Our Social Sites

Website Categories

The contents of this site are the property of Better Hens and Gardens. All content contained herein is copyrighted. We love it when you share, but if you do, please link back to the original post. Material included here is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, the giving of medical advice. This blogs content is for informational purposes only and Better Hens and Gardens or others associated with this site shall not be held liable for any damages incurred through the use of information provided in this blog. Better Hens and Gardens accepts products for review and other forms of paid advertising; however, although compensation received may influence the content or topics covered in this blog, it will never influence our opinion of any product. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are purely those of Better Hens and Gardens. Any product claim or other representation about a product or service should be verified by the manufacturer. Better Hens and Gardens is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright © 2022 · Design by Erica Mueller Designs

Copyright © 2022 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Pinterest
524 shares