Compost is valued by gardeners as a soil additive. Compost created when garden debris and other organic matter is allowed to breakdown and decay. Its ideal for the garden and for use in the greenhouse as a potting soil conditioner. The benefits of compost go beyond the nutrients it provides. It helps sandy soils retain moisture which would otherwise drain away and prevents clay soils from becoming too compact.

Any organic matter added to your compost pile will eventually decompose. Its basically a way for the earth to fertilize itself. Leaves, grass clippings and sod are some of the materials which make good compost. Creating a pile for use in the garden speeds up the decaying process and results in a fine soil additive.

Deciduous leaves offer great composting material though they generally provide little nutrients. Evergreen needles should be composted separately since they take longer to breakdown. Broadleaf evergreens tolerate acidic soils so since pine needles and oak leaves are acidic, they make an ideal compost to be spread around these shrubs. Other material suitable for composting includes vegetable and fruit peelings, seaweed, teabags, coffee grounds, spent annuals plants, dead leaves and spent plants from hanging baskets or containers.

If you have a large garden which produces lots of garden waste, two piles are a good idea. One pile can consist of material which breakdown slowly, such as twigs and brush, the other pile can be for softer material such as grass clipping, weeds, leaves and deadheaded flowers. Also, consider starting one pile for the vegetable and flower gardens and one for shrubs beds and trees.

Use the compost as a soil conditioner, to cultivate into containers and potted plants, to raise garden beds which require highly nutrient soil. It can also be used to seasonally top dress annual or perennial beds. This will replace lost soil nutrients. Used as a mulch layer, compost will help conserve soil moisture and help prevent weeds.

There are several ways you can make a compost pile. For example, you can use old wooden pallets to contain the pile. Having a few placed in a row is a good idea if you have the room. Each pile can be at a different stage of decomposition.

To promote decomposition of the compost the pile must be aerated. This can be accomplished by occasionally turning the pile over with a shovel or loosening it up with a pitchfork. You can also add straw or some fibrous material which will allow air to circulate though the pile. Drier material such as oak leaves will decompose more quickly if mixed with moist grass clippings. Counter the acidity of the compost pile with the addition of lime, wood ash or ground dolomite. Adding seaweed to the compost pile will add nitrogen making the pile useful as a fertilizer rather than just a soil conditioner. Heat is important to kill off any weed seeds. The heat can be enhanced by covering the pile with straw or a tarp.

Rather than tossing out your garden waste, consider starting a compost pile. They're easy to make and can actually save you money. Instead of needing to buy bags of hummus at the garden center, you'll be able to use what your own garden has created.

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Tim Birch is the publisher of GardenListings.com, a Garden Resource site for the gardening enthusiast.