by John Berends

How to Boost Micro-Organism Activity to Create Ideal Growing Conditions

Composting is a science that some gardeners spend a lifetime trying to perfect, but it does not need to be complicated or difficult. This guide presents a method of composting directly in the garden that is not only easy, but offers many advantages to traditional composting methods.

By composting directly in the garden, there is no need to have unsightly compost piles which may produce foul odors and attract rodents and pests, or to purchase expensive bins or tumblers. All that is needed is an inexpensive compost starter, worms, and of course, composting material.

Compost starter, also called compost activator or compost inoculate, is a natural organic product generally made from polysaccharides and other organic raw materials. It contains specific bacterial and fungal cultures which stimulate micro-organism activity, thereby accelerating the decomposition of organic waste. What many gardeners don’t know is that these same biological processes that are beneficial to composting help to make an ideal growing environment in the garden which is why compost starter is also an exceptional soil amendment that is high in nitrogen and also helps to maintain a perfect soil PH balance.

Worms can process their body weight in organic material each day, turning the material into castings prized by master gardeners as an ideal soil additive. Worms will generally show up in the garden if good soil conditions exist, but the process can be accelerated by adding worms to the garden. Worms can be purchased from garden supply houses or where they are sold as fishing bait.

The first step in turning the garden into a composting environment is to buy a good dry compost activator and work it into the top 6 inches of the soil at a rate of 2 ½ cups per 10 sq. ft. area. If plants are already established use care not to disturb their root systems. Next locate 1 sq. ft. of organic waste material. This may be leaves and small twigs, shredded newspaper, organic kitchen waste etc. Find an empty spot in the garden and dig a small hole big enough to hold the material and bury it, placing the dirt removed from the hole in a mound on top. Place a small container of worms on the loose soil next to the mound in the evening when it is cool.

After three weeks the mound over the compost will be reduced in size and any remaining dirt can be raked into the garden to level the soil. After another couple of weeks planting can resume in this area. The process can be repeated in other areas of the garden without further addition of compost activator or worms. At the beginning of the next growing season reapply compost activator and work into the soil.

By following this easy and inexpensive process, a garden can be turned into a composting environment and soil conditions can be greatly improved.

John Berends is a free-lance writer and can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it