Why Composting Is the Gardening Wisdom We Should Bring Back
Long before bags of synthetic fertilizer lined store shelves, gardeners relied on a much simpler approach: build healthy soil first. It is one of the oldest gardening lessons passed down through generations, and today, it remains one of the most effective. Composting is more than just a way to reduce kitchen waste. It is the foundation of healthier gardens, stronger plants, and a more sustainable landscape. While gardening techniques have evolved, the basic principle has not changed: healthy soil grows healthy plants.
Feed the Soil First: One of the most enduring pieces of gardening advice is to “feed the soil, not just the plant.” Instead of relying exclusively on commercial fertilizers, experienced gardeners have long used compost, aged manure, leaf mold, and other organic matter to replenish nutrients naturally. Compost improves soil structure, encourages beneficial microorganisms, increases water retention, and provides plants with a steady supply of nutrients over time. When the soil is healthy, plants become more resilient, require fewer chemical inputs, and are often better equipped to withstand drought and disease.
Compost Is Gardening’s Ultimate Recycling Program: Everyday kitchen scraps and yard waste can become valuable resources instead of ending up in a landfill. Items like:
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
- Grass clippings
- Dry leaves
- Small twigs
can all break down into nutrient-rich compost that feeds your garden naturally. Even materials like banana peels, often promoted as a quick fertilizer for roses, provide the greatest benefit when composted first. As they decompose alongside other organic materials, they contribute potassium and other nutrients while creating a more balanced soil amendment.
Cover the Soil: Healthy compost works even harder when paired with mulch. Covering exposed soil with shredded leaves, wood chips, straw, or finished compost helps:
- Reduce weed growth
- Hold moisture during hot weather
- Moderate soil temperatures
- Reduce erosion
- Add organic matter as materials break down
Bare soil quickly dries out and loses nutrients. Keeping it covered mimics the way nature protects forest floors year-round.
Build a Healthy Ecosystem: Composting is not simply about feeding plants. It supports an entire underground ecosystem. Earthworms, fungi, bacteria, and countless beneficial microorganisms all play important roles in breaking down organic matter and making nutrients available to plants. A thriving compost program helps create living soil that supports everything growing above it. This healthier ecosystem can also reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers and create stronger plants that naturally resist stress.
Composting Is Good for the Environment: Beyond the garden, composting offers significant environmental benefits. Food scraps and yard waste make up a substantial portion of household trash. When these materials are sent to landfills, they decompose without oxygen and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting diverts this waste, reduces landfill use, and returns valuable nutrients to the soil instead of wasting them.
A Simple Habit With Lasting Benefits: Perhaps the greatest lesson passed down through generations is that gardening is about building a relationship with the natural world. Composting encourages gardeners to slow down, pay attention to seasonal cycles, and see waste as a resource rather than something to throw away. Whether you maintain a large backyard garden or simply care for a few containers on a patio, adding compost is one of the simplest and most impactful steps you can take.
Healthy gardens start from the ground up, and that begins with healthy soil.
This article was inspired by “6 Forgotten Gardening Tips Our Grandparents Swore by That Still Really Work Today,” by Ashley Chalmers, originally published by The Spruce on July 27, 2026. The original article features insights from gardening experts Mary Phillips, Linda Vater, Wes Harvell, and Pieter Croes.
