DNRP > SWD > Composting & Soils > Soil Building > Soil Functions & Chemistry > Improving Soil Health

Improving Soil Health

To improve soil health, feed your soil with compost, as follows:

• Spread 1 to 2 inches over garden beds in the spring and fall
• Sprinkle 1/2 to 3/4 inch on lawns in the spring or fall
• Till 1 to 4 inches into new garden beds and lawns.

Recycle your yard waste by turning it into compost:

• Leaves, chopped stalks, flowers, and grass all make great compost, either in a bin or a pile.
• Add water, keep it moist and wait six months.

Mulch it!

Add a layer of organic material such as leaves, wood chips, compost or grass clippings around your plants (keeping it about an inch away from stems) in the spring or fall. Mulch feeds the soil, conserves water and prevents weeds.

Fertilize with Organic!

Look for the words "slow-release" or "organic" on the bag. Chemical fertilizers are quick-release fertilizers and can wash off quickly into streams.

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