In order for us to grow delicious vegetables, we need to have good soil and the best way to improve your soil is to mix in compost.

On the left is the compost bin I started this year using mostly mulched leaves and grass clippings.  I will continue to add the leaves and grass through the fall so it will have plenty of fresh contents for the organisms have food.  I have also added cardboard, clean napkins, and vegetable scraps from preparing food.  If kept watered and turned every once in awhile, the contents will look like the bin on the right in about a year.

I plan on using the compost on the right next spring when my vegetable garden thaws.  This will help add the necessary nutrients to the soil so my garden can thrive.

Compost itself is acidic and the best PH for soil is 7.0 or neutral.  When I close down the garden this year, the nutrients will be depleted and the soil will need fresh nutrients to be added in the spring a couple of weeks before planting.  Before planting, make sure you test your soil so it is at the correct PH for what you plan on growing there.  If the PH is below 6, it is too acidic and you will need to add ground limestone to raise the PH.  If the PH is over 7.5, it is too alkaline and you need to add organic matter (compost) to lower it gradually.

But, PH all depends on what your plant needs to grow its best.