Simple Suggestion #275... Use compost instead of fertilizer

I've been growing an organic garden for a couple of years now -- no pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. And the key to it all is using compost instead of Miracle Gro. Instead of adding blue stuff to my water, every two or three weeks I simply put a couple of handsful of compost at the base of plants that need to be fertilized... and allow watering to trickle the compost's nutrients down through the soil to the roots. This year's tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, peppers and annuals are doing very well with this method.

Simple, homemade fertilizer from my compost pile is much better for the planet than these chemical compounds that are made in factories and trucked long distances that increase the greenhouse gases in our already stressed atmosphere. It's not that hard to do, and it's satisfying to work with natural processes to enrich soil and grow my own food. And the results are wonderful to witness!

To prove my point, here's this year's garden tour by video, posted mainly for my own benefit (I can look back on my moodlings and remember how I've done things in the past) and for any other interested gardeners. Note to self for next year: plant the snow peas like the scarlet runner beans this year, and continue to use leaf mulch around tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. I tried this method for the first time this year thanks to a Master Composter refresher course back in May called "How to compost without using a compost bin." Mulching really cut down this year's weeding for me. And I'm not kidding -- if anyone wants to grow Ralph's Romas, let me know -- I should have extra seed this year.

https://youtu.be/aK50OxdvEig

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