Gardening is more than just planting seeds and waiting for blooms. It's about connecting with nature and the soil that supports life. When we embrace a biological approach to gardening, we work with the natural processes that help plants thrive. A key element of this approach is composting, a practice so powerful that it can turn any garden into a vibrant paradise. Let’s explore how the biological method and homemade compost can elevate your gardening experience!

Understanding the Biological Approach
The biological approach to gardening is primarily about collaboration with nature. This means recognizing how plants, soil, insects, and microorganisms interact. By enhancing the ecosystem, gardeners can cultivate robust plants that naturally resist pests and diseases.
Focusing on soil health establishes a rich environment. Healthy soil allows plants to absorb nutrients more efficiently and store water in the soil, leading to stronger growth and increased yields. For example, studies show that gardens utilizing regenerative and biological methods often yield 20% to 30% more vegetables than those using less effective conventional toxic chemical techniques.
Moreover, promoting biodiversity creates a balanced ecosystem and healthier planet. The goal is to remove synthetic fertilizers and pesticides while supporting natural practices that enrich and protect the environment by strengthening natural environmental immune systems. This approach nurtures not just individual plants, but entire gardens and the rest of your environment
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The Role of Compost in a Biological Garden
Compost is often called "black gold" for a reason. It's made from decomposed organic materials like food scraps, yard waste, and leaves. Incorporating compost into your gardening routine is essential, as it plays multiple roles in enhancing the ecosystem.
Think of compost as a thriving community of microorganisms that work hard to break down organic material. When you add compost to your soil, you boost its structure and provide a habitat for beneficial bacteria and fungi.
For instance, a study by the American Society of Agronomy indicated that adding compost can improve soil moisture retention by nearly 70%. This helps your plants withstand drought and reduces the frequency of watering. Additionally, compost enriches soil with vital nutrients, promotes healthy root development, and can even help keep pests at bay.

How to Create Your Own Compost
Creating your own compost is not only fulfilling but accessible to everyone. Here's a straightforward guide to get you started:
1. Choose a Compost Bin, obtain a compost thermometer
You can create a compost bin using simple materials, such as pallets or wire fencing, to form a contained area in your garden. A structured bin keeps things tidy and encourages airflow.
2. Gather Your Materials and build your pile recipe
Aim for a balance of green materials (like fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and fresh grass clippings) and brown materials (like dried leaves, cardboard, and newspaper). A roughly equal ratio of greens to browns promotes effective decomposition.
3. Mixing and Turning Your Ingredients
Begin with a layer of browns, then add greens and mix. Alternate layers to create a balanced mix, and don’t forget the importance of airflow. This balance is crucial for odor control and speedy decomposition.
4. Turn the Pile
Turning your compost aerates it and speeds up the breakdown process. It is absolutely imperative to turn the pile at the appropriate time. Use the MBG turnWise system to help you to know when that is. If you do not turn according to the correct times, you can be encouraging pathogens and virus' in the pile instead of the aerobic organisms that keep the environment healthy.
5. Track your compost pile as it cooks. Track your times, temps and moisture.
Good things take time. It should only take about 21 days for the pile to get through the Thermophilic zone. Once it has been turned out of the thermophilic zone, it is ready to sit and mature until it returns to ambient temperature.
Benefits of Using Compost in Your Garden
Investing time in making your own compost can yield numerous benefits:
1. Nutrient-Rich Soil Biology
Homemade compost supplies plants with a appropriate balance of biology, ensuring they receive essential elements for optimal growth.
2. Boosted Environmental Impact
By composting, you reduce waste and remove dependence and need for any chemical fertilizers. Transforming kitchen scraps into useful compost diverts landfill waste and helps build a healthier earth for all of us.
3. Water Retention
Amending your soil with compost enhances its structure, and helps add organic matter to your soil media allowing it to retain up to 10 times its' weight in water. This leads to less frequent watering and a reduction in your water bills over time. Better soil structure leads to better root growth allowing for deeper penetration into the earth.
4. Supporting Biodiversity
Healthy compost encourages diverse organisms in your soil, which improves pest management and overall plant health. Healthy aerobic biodiversity helps create a
better environmental immune system negating the need for pesticides and carcinogenic chemicals sold by companies that do not care about your health or environment.
5. Cost-Effective Solution
Making your own compost can save you money on commercial fertilizers and soil amendments, allowing you to allocate those savings elsewhere in your gardening budget. By using MBG's turnWise program, for only 5$ a month you can make as much as you need rather than going to big box stores and spending hundreds of dollars on only a few bags of less potent soil media.

Embracing Composting for a Thriving Garden
Combining a biological approach to gardening with composting is a winning strategy for any gardener. By respecting and utilizing nature’s processes, we can cultivate healthy plants and contribute to a sustainable ecosystem.
Next time you’re in your garden, consider what goes into your soil. Composting not only enhances soil health but also keeps our environment clean and green. Your plants will thrive, and you’ll experience the profound satisfaction that comes from nurturing your garden with nature’s finest resources.
Let’s commit to composting and embrace the biological method. Happy gardening to all! Sign up for MBG's turnWise Composting system and ready made recipe.

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