As a beginner gardener, I always buy soil for my plants from the store. But, the fact that I need to has always frustrated me. Why should someone have to pay for dirt? It’s all around my yard, free! But regular dirt usually isn’t great for plants. You need nutrient rich soil for them to grow. How can you make your own (again, for free)? Easy! The answer is: composting. You essentially take all of your kitchen scraps (excluding meat, bones, etc.) and some garbage, let it stew, and voila! Yummy, yummy plant food. Check out this post by Brittany Bailey at the Pretty Handy Girl for a beginner compost recipe:
-Leaves, newspaper, and grass are great ingredients
-Kitchen scraps like veggies, fruits, coffee grounds, and eggshells do wonders for your soil
-Toss scraps in a bucket. When bucket is full, toss it outside in a designated compost pile. It can be a hole in the ground, or any shady spot where it won’t dry up.
-Layer the kitchen scraps with newspaper.