Hey everyone! I'm gearing up to start my gardening season and I have a question for you seasoned gardeners out there. I'm curious if I can add some food scraps or compost materials like coffee grounds, eggshells, grass, and leaves directly to the soil. I'm trying to avoid anything too smelly to keep the pests away, but I hope to boost the nutrient content and feed the worms. I'm based in Utah, and the soil quality isn't the greatest, plus my garden boxes haven't been used in a while. After weeding them, we're now focused on making sure the soil is healthy for our plants, which include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, watermelons, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, and a few herbs. I'm also thinking of using Neem oil for pest control. Any advice? Thanks!
4 Answers
You can add some food scraps, but honestly, I'd recommend just top-dressing your garden boxes with compost rather than tilling it in. Just 2-3 inches of well-composted material on top can do wonders!
It's actually not the best to add food scraps directly to your soil. When you mix in fresh scraps, they need nitrogen to break down, which can take some time. During this breakdown, they might actually absorb the nitrogen that your plants need right away. Instead, I’d suggest making a compost pile and using that once it’s ready. Also, about the Neem oil, it might be wise to hold off on using pesticides until you identify any actual pest issues since they can also kill off beneficial insects that help your garden thrive.
That makes sense! You could also check with local farms for composted manure. Sometimes municipalities give it away for free or sell it cheap. Soil health is a long game, and synthetic fertilizers can help in the meantime if necessary.
I appreciate the insights! I’ve been trying to grasp the whole nitrogen/carbon thing, and I think it’s clearer now why just tossing in scraps isn’t the way to go. Thanks!
A little food scrap addition won’t hurt, but all those scraps need time (6 months to a year) to break down before they’re beneficial for this season. By the way, Home Depot has a deal right now—5 bags of Miracle-Gro garden soil for $10, which is decent quality if you need to supplement your soil quickly.
That’s my concern too; I'm new to this and don’t have compost ready to go. Buying it is expensive, and I’m not sure if a few bags of garden soil will help.