The Seedkeepers Guide to Soil Improvement – How to Make Compost, Build Soil, and Grow More Food

1. The Seedkeepers Guide to Soil Improvement – How to Make Compost, Build Soil, and
Grow More Food

3. by Justin Huhn
Do you want to grow more food? Have healthier plants with fewer pest problems?
Grow and save large, quality seed?
One of the biggest ways you can increase your gardening success is by improving
the quality of your garden’s soil.
In this article, I will teach you exactly how you can improve your garden’s soil,
regardless of your soil type or its condition!
BENEFITS OF HEALTHY SOIL
Plants grown in good, healthy soil will have:
fewer pests problems
less disease
higher yields
better flavor
more vigorous growth
increased drought tolerance
higher seed yield
better quality seed

4. BASIC SOIL TEST
The first step in improving your soil is to know what type of soil you are working with.
Squeeze test. This is the simplest test, and can be quite enlightening if you aren’t
already familiar with the makeup of your soil. Take a handful of moist soil from your
garden…not soaking wet…just slightly moist. Squeeze it tightly in the palm of your
hand. Then open your hand. One of three things will happen:
The soil will hold it’s shape, but will break apart with a bit of coaxing/bending. This
indicates you have a “loam” soil…an ideal mix of clay, sand, and silt. Nice!
The soil will hold it’s shape, even when poked or lightly coaxed…and there may be a
slightly ‘sticky’ texture. This indicates you have clay or clay-dominant soil.
The soil will fall apart when you open your hand. This indicates you have sandy soil.

6. "Loam" soil is the ideal that most gardeners fantasize about…the perfect mix of
all aspects of soil. That said, I know many gardeners that produce an
incredible amount of food and maintain a healthy, productive garden in very
sandy or heavy clay soils!
Although there are challenges with both clay and sandy soils, there are
advantages as well. Clay soil, though slow-draining, is remarkable at retaining
moisture and soil nutrients. Sandy soil doesn’t hold nutrients and moisture
well, but drains beautifully. Regardless your soil type, you can grow an
abundant, beautiful garden!
.

7. PERCOLATION TEST
The Percolation test is a great way to help determine soil type and your garden's
best watering practices. Here's how it's done:
Dig a hole 6-12” wide, and 12” deep. Fill it with water and allow it to drain
completely. Fill the hole again, and observe the drainage. A drainage rate of 1-2”
per hour indicates a well-drained, loamy soil. Slower indicates clay soil, faster
means sandy soil.
It’s incredible how helpful knowing the percolation rate of your soil is! The
percolation test will greatly inform your watering schedule.
PROFESSIONAL SOIL TESTS
An in-depth soil analysis done by a professional lab will give you precise insight into
what’s going on in your soil. If you are serious about producing food in your
garden, I highly recommend testing your soil. Knowing exactly where you stand is
incredibly empowering.
There are countless labs out there that can be found by doing a google search for
“soil test lab.” You can also find soil testing resources through your local
Cooperative Extension, or by contacting your local Master Gardener program.

8. Here are two soil test labs I have worked with in the past, and can recommend:
Kinsey Agricultural Services. $50 for a basic soil analysis. I had such a good experience
with Kinsey Ag’s soil analysis. Their soil test comes with specific recommendations for
amending your soil. I called their lab to help interpret my results, and had an impromptu
hour-long conversation about my soil with Neal Kinsey (owner of the lab, and well-known
soil genius…author of “Hands-On Agronomy”). Awesome.
Logan Labs. $25 for the standard soil test. Not as thorough as the Kinsey test and lacking
in recommendations for amending…but a cost-efficient test that will give you a place to
start.
All of that said, it certainly isn’t necessary to test your soil…
There is one thing that any gardener can do in any situation that will benefit every type
of soil: Add organic matter.

10. ORGANIC MATTER
In practically every case, soils can be improved by increasing the organic
matter content.
Most soils are depleted, especially around the home. When houses are built,
the topsoil (the uppermost layer of soil…where most of the organic matter is
concentrated) is typically removed from the building site for structural
purposes.
It goes without saying…your soil – your plants – WILL BENEFIT FROM
INCREASED ORGANIC MATTER.
Increased organic matter in your soil will:
encourage a balanced, healthy soil life
improve water retention in sandy soils and drainage in dense, clay soils
decrease soil compaction
decrease the need for fertilizer – organic matter can store nutrients
Organic matter is animal and/or plant material in different stages of
decomposition…this decomposition being done by earthworms, beetles, ants,
pill bugs, and a myriad

11. a myriad of ‘decomposer’ insects, microorganisms, and soil bacteria & fungi.
The end product of decomposition is Humus – dark-colored organic matter that cannot
be broken down further.
Humus creates a loose soil structure that both holds moisture and drains well.
Abundant Humus will create an environment that supports living organisms that will
convert soil nutrients into a form plants can use, building soil fertility.
Very literally, humus brings your soil to life.
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR SOIL’S ORGANIC MATTER & HUMUS CONTENT.
Many amendments are available to most gardeners in rural, suburban or urban areas.
Garden centers carry all types of bagged material (planting compost, composted
manure, etc.) that can be a great, fast solution for small gardens. Composted steer and
chicken manure are my favorites for small gardens. If you have a large garden or small
farm, having manure delivered by the truckload can do wonders to build your soil.
In some cases, “compost” can be purchased by the truckload from city green waste
facilities. This ‘green waste’ compost, however, can have such a wide range of
ingredients that you never know what might pop up in your garden after incorporating
this material. I only suggest this if you have a very large area that you want to
amend…an orchard, for example.

12. Adding compost to your soil is the best way to add abundant organic matter and life
to your soil, and will work miracles when it comes to the health, vigor, and yield of
your plants.
WHAT IS COMPOST?
Compost is partially to mostly-decomposed plant or animal material. “Finished”
compost…the end-product of the composting process…is called humus. In fact, the
terms “compost” and “humus” are sometimes used interchangeably.
Though compost can be purchased by the bag or by the truckload, the best compost
is always homemade.Well-made homemade compost is one of the most marvelous
things a gardener can experience. It is rich, dark, earthy (not smelly!), and brimming
with life! Adding homemade compost to your garden is empowering, and gives you
the sense that you are really, truly caring for your garden.

14. HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE COMPOST
Compost is made by layering and mixing organic material…this material essentially
coming in two basic forms:
brown / high carbon (dry/brown plant material…dry leaves, straw, wood shavings,
etc.)
green / high nitrogen (grass clippings, kitchen scraps, green plant material, fresh
manures).
The ideal carbon : nitrogen ratio when it comes to making compost is between 30:1 &
50:1. Don’t let these “precise ratios intimidate you! Just be sure to make your pile out
of mostly built a compost pile with a precise ratio…I always wing it, and it always
works!
I like to make a large (at least 4’ X 4’) pile of many layers…beginning with a thick layer
of brown material (dry sticks/twigs, straw, dry leaves, etc.). Next is the green layer.
There is almost always some fresh plant material from the garden or kitchen scraps to
add to this layer. Fresh or composted manure is an excellent addition to your pile’s
green layer. Then, ideally, a thin layer of soil is added here…this will give a little
microorganism boost to the pile and help hold in moisture.
Repeat this layering until your pile is at least 3-4 feet high, or when you are out of
material to add.
Though there are many schools of thought on what materials to add or omit from the
compost pile, here’s my short list of recommendations of what to keep out of the pile

15. (any other plant or animal material is fair game!):
weeds that have gone to seed (if you don’t mind weeding – like me – you can include
these!)
perennial weeds (crab grass, bermuda grass, nutsedge, bindweed, etc.)
fats, oils (dairy, meat & fish, bones)
diseased plants
anything NOT “organic” (plastics, metal, synthetic anything!)
NOTE: Weeds and their seeds, as well as many plant diseases and pathogens can be
killed in a HOT compost pile. Generating enough heat requires high nitrogen
(manures are good for this) and repeated turning. I suggest that anyone not wanting
to make and maintain an intentionally hot pile send away any and all
perennial/persistent weeds and diseased plants. It’s better safe than sorry.

16. The other (super important!) ingredients needed for making compost are OXYGEN and
WATER. Your pile needs to be watered just like your garden does, and just about as often.
When it comes to oxygen, the more dry/brown material your pile has, the more oxygen
will naturally enter your pile. If you add a lot of green material or manure, you will have
to turn your pile more often to make sure there is enough oxygen present to feed the
microbes that are doing the hard work.

18. GROWING FOR YOUR COMPOST PILE
Some gardeners plant certain varieties for adding them to the compost pile. This is a
common practice in intensive-style gardening, where one attempts to minimize
importing material.
Truthfully, anything grown in the garden can make a good compost crop. Here are a few
that are particularly beneficial:
Comfrey. This hardy perennial has a deep, nutrient-mining taproot, and can be cut to
the ground multiple times a year. An excellent compost crop!
Amaranth. Fast-growing with edible leaves and grain (seed). Produces abundant
biomass for the pile.
Fava Beans. "Fix" nitrogen into the soil. The stalks produce beautiful compost!
Rye. The dry stalks make an awesome brown/carbon addition to the pile.

20. A few options for your compost setup:
A ‘bin’ of sorts…this often is a constructed three or four-sided fence (pictured)
that contains the pile. One side is easily removed to access the pile.
Plastic compost bin or tumbler. These are good options for those in a more
urban setting, or for folks short on space.
Open pile (my favorite!). Though perhaps less ‘tidy,’ the open pile gives you
complete access from all sides which really makes turning your pile MUCH
easier.

21. TURNING THE PILE
Essentially, compost piles are turned for two reasons:
To incorporate more oxygen…which feeds the microorganisms that are breaking
down the organic matter (this makes your pile HOT). Like I mentioned above, a hot
compost pile can kill weeds & their seeds, as well as certain plant diseases or
pathogens. Additionally, a hot pile will break material down faster. (NOTE: I don’t
obsess about or measure the heat of my piles, as I don’t add perennial weeds or
diseased plants to my piles. BUT I do prefer a hot, often-turned pile, as it always
seems to produce a more thoroughly composted final humus).
To thoroughly mix your pile’s ingredients.When the various materials in your pile are
given multiple chances to come in contact with all of the other materials, as well as
with varying pockets of decomposer organisms within the pile, the more thoroughly
all of the added material will break down.

22. You don’t have to turn your pile…but in my experience, I have always
had better results with turning. If you plan to not turn your pile, be sure to go
heavy on the brown material, and light on the green…otherwise you will
have a funky, smelly pile of anaerobic (lacking oxygen) not-quite-compost. I
know this from experience ;)
With a pitchfork or digging fork (the Fiskars fork pictured to the right I
highly recommend) turn the material on the top of the pile over and place
next to the pile. You essentially will be building a ‘new’ pile right next to the
first one. Repeat this until the bottom material from your first pile is at the
top of the new pile. Water thoroughly!
Depending on the size of your pile, the outside temperature, the
carbon:nitrogen ratio, and how often you turn your pile, you will have
‘finished’ compost in anywhere from 2 months to one year.
“Finished” compost – or humus – is absolutely beautiful! It is dark in
color, mostly or entirely lacking in any un-decomposed material, doesn’t
smell and is the best soil amendment around

23. WATERING YOUR COMPOST PILE
Your compost pile needs to be watered (assuming it isn’t being rained on
s should
consistently). The microbes that are doing all of the work decomposing all of this
material require water for survival. The pile should be consistently moist, but not
soaking wet.
If you live in an area that receives consistent or heavy rain, it’s a good idea to
cover your pile with a tarp once it has been soaked. When the rain stops, uncover
the pile so it can breathe again. It’s difficult to describe exactly how wet the pile
should be…you kind of have to go intuitive with it. The more carbon material, the
more water is needed.

24. ADDING AMENDMENTS TO YOUR PILE
This practice has done more for my composting success than any other. I have found
that adding a ‘boost’ to my piles by layering in small amounts of fertilizer does
wonders to kick-start and speed up the composting process. The fertilizer I use in my
garden and compost pile is “True 10-5-2” made by True Organics...though any
organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer will do. Blood meal is an excellent addition.When
building my pile, I add a handful of this fertilizer to every brown/carbon layer.
In addition to adding fertilizer, you can also add micronutrient amendments to the
pile. These amendments will be broken down by the composting process and be
more immediately available to your plants when you add the finished compost to
your garden.
Some examples might be:
Kelp Meal
Azomite
Greensand
Gypsum

25. ADDING COMPOST TO YOUR GARDEN
You will see immediate positive results in the texture of your soil and the health
of your plants when you add well-made compost correctly to your garden!
The way to add compost is to apply it to the surface of the soil, and
scratch it into the top couple inches of soil using a cobra head tool
(pictured at right), or by 'turning' it into the soil with a digging fork. By
incorporating your compost into the topsoil, you are minimizing the exposure of
this rich addition to the open air and sunlight where nutrients can be lost. You
are also allowing the microorganisms that exist in your soil to begin interacting
with the compost, and do any further necessary breaking down of un-decomposed
organic matter that might still be in your compost

26. Next, you want to water the garden thoroughly to boost the soil life, and to help
mix the newly-added compost nutrients into the soil making them available to the
plants.
A note on mulch: If you mulch your garden with straw, wood chips, or any other
material, you are going to want to move the mulch aside before adding the compost.
In this case, it is less important to incorporate the compost into the soil…just cover
up your compost addition with the mulch, and you’re good to go.
WHEN TO ADD COMPOST TO YOUR GARDEN
Truthfully, anytime the soil is workable (as in not frozen, too wet, or too dry) is a
great time to add compost! I like to add it heavily in Spring (an Autumn-built
compost pile should be ready in Spring), as well as a side-dressing (adding compost
around the plants already growing) for the longer-lived plants in my garden
(perennials, hungry annuals – tomatoes, corn, etc.) in Summer and Autumn

28. HOW DO I KNOW MY COMPOST IS READY?
Compost is ready when it has broken down into humus – rich, dark, pure
"soil." But you don't have to wait until your entire pile looks like this...there are
always additions to the pile that break down faster or slower than others. For
instance, you might have a mostly-finished pile with some un-decomposed
avocado skins, coconut hulls, pistachio shells, etc.
One common practice is to sift the compost...or screen out the large pieces of
un-decomposed material and add it back into the pile to finish it's process,
while the sifted compost that passed through the screen is mostly or entirely
decomposed and ready to add to the garden.
A screen can be built very simply out of 1/2" galvanized hardware cloth
(available at most hardware stores and garden centers) and a wooden frame.

29. CONCLUSION
Adding organic matter to your garden is the best thing you can do to improve your soil,
regardless of it's condition...and compost is the best way to do it. If you have never made
compost before, start a pile today. Start small and keep adding layers...before you know it,
you'll have a legitimate pile, and in a few months you'll have some magical stuff to boost
your garden.
Compost will do wonders for improving your soil and the health of your plants. Every
gardener should be making compost...and once you have made good, homemade compost,
you'll be hooked! You'll never go back to store-bought 'planting compost' again, and your
garden – your plants – will thank you!
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