Healthy plants depend on healthy soil. A surefire way to prepare soil for springtime planting is to add organic material such as dead plants, which decompose to naturally improve soil structure, increase aeration, and improve the soil’s ability to absorb and drain moisture.

You can add organic material by topping your garden beds with compost, which will introduce microorganisms and improve soil fertility. Compost can be added in the spring before planting or alongside your plants throughout the growing season. Black Earth Compost is one source of compost delivery in our area. (You might recognize the name because they donated their collection service for all the food waste from our Fall Festival last year.)