As the clutches of an icy cold winter begin to relax it’s time to think about the most important part of your garden. Dirt.

I HEART dirt!

But it’s really more magical than simple dirt. What you need is soil. And soil needs your love. Soil needs to be nurtured as much as the plants, canes and trees that make their home there.

I REALLY HEART soil!

Healthy soil will in turn yield plants that need less water, have better disease resistance and simply produce better. Every micro farmers dream right!?!

The best bang for your effort will come as you evolve your dirt to soil.

And it’s easy. And you already paid for it.

EASY and FREE.

Do you pack a banana in your lunch? How about an apple? That broccoli stem you cut the florets from for dinner last night? Onion skin, garlic skin, winter squash skin too?

Inedible for us but guess who craves this goodness? Your soil.

Alas, ALL of your fruit and veggie waste is not waste.

These scraps generated from everyday living generate an opportunity to do something spectacular for your soil.

Ummm, my soil is still frozen or so soupy it’s a bad idea to venture into it. What am I supposed to do?

Simple.

PHASE 1

Designate a container - Costco sized cottage cheese bin, plastic ice cream pail or a fancy stainless steel version
Place container next to your sink so it’s not forgotten
Place inedible fruit and veggie scraps in bin -banana peels, apple cores, strawberry tops, pineapple rind, mushy inedible grapes and stems, potato skins, green pepper innards, broccoli and cauliflower inedibles, carrot skins AND anything that has done turned (cue Mater’s voice) from your crisper into your awesomeness bin.
When your bin is full or has a special stank to it it’s time for phase 2.
Grains are welcome in the bin too
DO NOT save meat or oil to compost. It attracts vermin = no Bueno.

PHASE 2

Place soil booster in a 5 gallon bucket on your back porch and wait for spring.

PHASE 3

Simply dig a trough and dump the contents from your collection into the trough, cover with soil and wait a few weeks.

This method works just the same if you use raised beds AND you can even just place a shovel full of kitchen waste in the soil around your favorite plants. FYI - roses LOVE banana peels!

Most things will be decomposed within a few weeks. Pineapple tops seem to take the longest to break down in my soil but eventually they do.

What is left behind? Enriched happy soil ready to do its best.

We have filled 3 buckets so far this winter. They do freeze and thaw but they don’t stink. Occasionally our curious magpie buddies come along and find something they think they need. If you have critters that may think these treats are for them simply cover with a screen and a brick to keep them out.

My kids and even hubby have been trained to bring apple cores, orange peels and banana peels back home in the empty lunch containers.

And it won’t cost you a single extra penny AND you offset that waste from ending up in a burn plant or landfill.

Pat yourself on the back. Mother Earth thanks you too!

Happy Collecting!

Brooke

.....If you loved what you read and would like more subscribe below. I won't bombard you with junk, neither of us has time for that. 2-4 posts a month to make you smile, share exceptional ideas, and promote healthier balanced eating!