The secret that farmers once depended on

There’s a secret to making your garden grow that farmers have long known, but that has escaped many home gardeners today. In Florida’s Heartland, where the soil is mostly sand, this technique is as important as ever. The secret, of course, is composting. When you make compost, you create a living soil

Composting is about the ingredients

Composting doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as piling up leaves and mixing them in your old kitchen scraps. You don’t need special equipment or bins. You just need to understand a few things. Like cooking, the magic happens when you add the right ingredients. Read on, and at the end, we will tell you about our upcoming class.

Natures way

Compost isn’t just a dark soil that helps sandy soil in Central Florida hold more water and nutrients. It does that, but it’s also a living substrate teeming with beneficial fungi, bacteria, and protozoa. When this biome surrounds plant roots, it helps them absorb water and makes nutrients available that would otherwise be locked in unusable forms in the soil. These soil-dwelling entities are the same natural communities that support nutrient and water exchange, which allow natural areas to grow. It’s how trees in the woods survive and grow without the assistance of humans.

Earthworms, one of natures composters

Another effective way to create this living soil is to use worm castings. In nature, earthworms feed on decaying organic matter, such as dead plant material, rotting leaves, soil bacteria, fungi, and animal manure. In doing so, they are a vital part of the soil biome. They recycle these nutrients and, when used to compost human kitchen scraps, supercharge the soil with readily available nutrients for plants. These castings are rich in essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as beneficial microbes that improve soil structure and fertility. Worm castings release nutrients slowly, helping plants get through times when fewer nutrients and water are available and promoting steady, healthy growth. By incorporating worm castings into garden soil, you can create a more balanced, resilient ecosystem that supports strong root development and long-term plant health.

Learn from the Master Gardeners

On Saturday, May 16th, the Master Gardener Volunteers will hold a composting class from 10 until noon at the Bert J. Harris Agricultural Center in Sebring.  As well as composting, the class will include vermicomposting, which teaches you how to raise earthworms to make concentrated worm castings that can help jumpstart your garden plants, shrubs, and trees. The cost of the class is $15. For information on registering, call the Extension office at (863) 402-6540-ext 1. You can also scroll down and order your ticket using the QR code.

Stay in touch

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Check out our groups! Highlands County Master Gardeners,

Central Florida Butterfly and Pollinator Club

Heartland Beekeepers

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