Improve Soil without a compost? It can be done! Healthy soil is the foundation for a successful vegetable garden. I love my compost pile but there are many reasons that people are unable to have a compost pile or bin.
But don’t be too sad – you can still improve soil without a compost pile. There are 6 key ingredients you can add to your soil to make it rich and healthy.
How Do I Know What My Soil Needs?
If you know your soil fertility is lacking but are not sure what it needs you can test! You can use a simple Soil Test Kit to see soil ph and see exactly what is in and missing from your soil.
This will provide you a complete analysis of your garden soil.
Why Improve Soil Conditions?
Fertile soil feeds your plants (vegetables, fruits, herbs). But healthy soil also helps plants fend of pests and disease.
How to Improve Soil Quality
The best part about these 6 ingredients is that 4 of them can come right out of your kitchen without costing you a dime! The other 2 won’t cost you much either.
So let’s talk soil improvement!
Eggshells
Eggshells are an amazing way to improve soil and help your garden plants in many ways. You can use them as a fertilizer that will add calcium to your soil, an unappreciated nutrient for your veggies. Mix crushed shells into your soil or add them to the bottom of your hole before planting transplants.
Eggshells can also help you fight the good fight against snails and slugs. Take your crushed eggshells and sprinkle them around the base of plants; most pests won’t want to cross over the sharp shells to bother your plants. Make sure to give your shells a good rinse before you use them.
How to Reuse Eggshells
Orange Peels
Cut up peels and shred them and spread them around your garden to deter cats from using your garden as a litter box. If you want to use orange peels as a soil improvement you can cut them into small pieces and bury them in your garden.
They will add a punch of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. You can do more with orange peels to improve your garden.
How to Use Orange Peels in Your Garden
Rabbit Manure
Rabbit droppings are one of the few manures that you can use without composting. Rabbit manure is rich with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. And trace elements calcium, copper, magnesium and sulfur too.
It isn’t a “hot” manure like some animal manures (chicken poo), so you can put it right in the garden without worrying that you’ll burn your plants. If you don’t have a rabbit of your own, find a rabbit owner – they’ll probably give you all the poo you want free of charge.
How to Improve Your Soil with Rabbit Poo
Banana Peels
Banana peels are a natural fertilizer and improve soil by adding calcium, magnesium, phosphates, potassium, sodium and Sulphur. You can dry them, grind them into power and mix the powder into the soil to boost these nutrients.
You can also make a fertilizing tea with banana peels. See directions for making that tea and more about using banana peels to improve soil here!
Coffee Grounds
We are big coffee drinkers at our house so I am so glad they can be used to improve soil and help in the garden. Used coffee grounds mixed into your soil will add organic material, improve the soil’s drainage and soil aeration. But that’s not all; coffee is a great fertilizer too.
Coffee has many benefit for your garden.
How to Recycle Coffee Grounds in Your Garden & More
Azomite
Azomite is A to Z Of Minerals Including Trace Elements. Using Azomite improves soil by adding all minerals – many which are low or missing in today’s soil. Not only does this mean that your soil will be healthier, your vegetables will will be filled with minerals that you need too!
For more information about Azomite as soil amendments see Azomite.com.
Other Additions to Consider
There are a few other ingredients to consider for your soil’s health.
- Grass Clippings that are free of pesticides can be a good topper for garden beds for moisture retention, weed restriction and to add nutrients.
- Mulch – mulching your garden bed and rows works like grass clippings.
Improve Garden Soil Without a Compost
I hope I’ve helped you to understand how you can improve your soil without a compost pile. All soil needs a little help to be nutrient rich – especially after a season of growing!
But don’t forget, even in an apartment you can do some small-scale composting with something like a Bokashi Bucket or try Kitchen Composting or your own worm farm for vermicomposting.
More on Soil & Gardening
- Backyard Vegetable Garden
- Awesome Soil Amendments for Your Organic Vegetable Garden
- The Best DIY Soil Mix Recipe
- Gardening in January
- Flowers to Plant in Vegetable Gardens
- Growing Tomatoes At Home
- 9 Ways to Conserve Water in Your Vegetable Garden
- Easy to Grow Vegetables for the Frustrated Gardener
