Take a Bite Out of Global Warming
STEP 4: PREPARING THE SOIL
Once you have designed your garden and ordered your seeds, you are ready to start prepping your soil. One of the key ingredients for making terrific soil is compost. Compost can take many forms, but is basically just decomposed organic matter, generally grass clippings and food waste. Manure can also be used with compost. Manure from healthy farm animals makes great fertilizer for plants, as it is an integral component to nutrient cycling in organic agricultural systems.
Another important soil enrichment mechanism, that also doubles as a weed suppressant and water retention agent for organic gardeners is mulch. Mulch is added to the top of the soil around a new plant to block weeds from growing and to slow soil moisture evaporation. Dead leaves and straw make good mulch, and they return their nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
A project for the Center for Food Safety and the CornerStone Campaign