I’m going to sound like a total geek, but I watch videos about gardening. I find it interesting how some techniques vary greatly from gardener to gardener.

The same practices, dealing with the same exact plant, may not have the same results depending on factors such as hardiness zones, for example.

There are some practices that are fairly universal in the gardening world. I don’t know anyone who say that mulching for weed suppression is not a good plan.

While watching some recent videos about planting garlic, I came across a gardener who worked six bags of amendments into a raised bed before planting. All I could think was, “Geez, he could have bought a bushel and a half of garlic for what he just put into that raised bed.”

This got me thinking about the different additives that we work into the soil to “improve” it. What does it all do? Ten years ago, if you told me to work humus into the soil, I would have looked at you funny and told you that you spelled it wrong.

Humus and compost have been used as interchangeable terms, but that’s not really the case. Compost is made of decaying leaves, grass clippings, and other yard waste that is free of disease, as well as discarded food scraps. Called “black gold” by many gardeners, it appears to be the dark, rich, completely broken-down result of these ingredients.

Humus, not to be confused with the dip made from pureed garbanzo beans, is fully decomposed compost. It takes years for compost to break down to the point that it becomes humus. A very small part of compost is actually humus.

Compost, and the humus contained in it, improve soil structure, add nutrients, and help retain water. If you’re not particularly fond of going to the garden center and buying bags of compost, making your own in a simple process.

Most people compost in a bin, although a big ol’ pile works too, as long as the basic components are present. They are both green and brown materials, soil, air and water. The nitrogen-rich greens are plant remnants, grass clippings, animal manure (not dog or cat) and kitchen scraps.

There are a few kitchen scraps that should not be added to the mix. Meat and fat remnants, bones, oils or dairy products are not recommended. They can draw rodents and other scavengers that could spread disease.

The carbon-rich browns are leaves, newspaper, straw, hay, and chipped up wood, as long as it is not chemically treated. The air is added when you stir the pile. This is necessary to help with compaction, regulates moisture build-up, distributes microbes throughout the pile, as well as the heat created in the center of the pile.

Heat helps to break down the individual elements to transform them into the dark soil we are seeking to produce. So, it goes without saying that the bin should be located where it will receive a fair amount of sunshine to heat the pile.

Piles should be turned about once a week. If the heat is not distributed, it could kill off the microbes that are working hard to decompose the materials added to the bin. You will know if you need to turn more by the rate of decomposition. If it is going to slow, turn it more.

Now add a little dirt and give it a sprinkling of water. I know these two steps seem like odd things to do, but they make the process go faster. Also, just because that pot of soil that the now expired annual was planted in seems to be devoid of all nutrients, it still has some as well as bacteria that will help to decompose the materials.

Just a sprinkling of water is necessary. Too much water will fill in holes where air should be and could turn the materials you added to the compost bin into mush instead of compost.

Composting is and eco-friendly, budget conscience way to have a nutrient rich supply of soil available to make your plants happy. Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. For more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners, visit http://mg.aces.edu/limestone.