Soil & Compost

Make Your Own Compost for Healthy Soil

Use farm waste, dry leaves, grass, and manure to improve soil naturally.

6 min lessonBasic SkillLow costBest for: farmers and gardeners improving soilUpdated 9 Jul 2026

Do this first

Start with these checks

Start with materials already on your farm.

The pile should be damp, not soaked.

Use compost when it is dark, crumbly, and smells earthy.

Action Steps

Choose a shaded corner

Place dry materials at the bottom, add green crop waste, add a small layer of manure or old compost, sprinkle water, and cover the pile

Turn it every 1 to 2 weeks

Dry leaves or dry grass, crop waste, vegetable scraps, a small amount of animal manure, water, and a shaded, well-drained place

Choose a shaded corner.
Place dry materials at the bottom, add green crop waste, add a small layer of manure or old compost, sprinkle water, and cover the pile.
Turn it every 1 to 2 weeks.

Do not add plastic, meat, oil, chemical containers, human waste, or fresh diseased crop material.

Start a small compost pile this week using materials already on your farm.

Ask Mama G

Ask what compost materials you can use for your crop, soil condition, and season.

Use farm waste, dry leaves, grass, and manure to improve soil naturally.

Use this skill to improve soil care, crop checks, harvest handling, and everyday farm decisions.

RELATED LESSONS

Use dry grass, leaves, or crop residue to keep soil cool and reduce water loss.

Learn why fresh manure can burn crops and how to use it more safely.

Simple crop rotation ideas to protect soil and reduce pest pressure.