Ran into an old neighbor at the hardware store who completely flipped my opinion on composting

I used to think composting was just a smelly chore for crunchy types. But then I bumped into Mrs. Garcia from three streets over while picking up mulch last Saturday. She showed me a photo of her garden from last July versus this July after she started using her own compost. The difference in her tomato plants was insane within just 8 months. Has anyone else had a chance encounter totally change their mind about something they were sure they hated?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly_craig25d ago

Totally get where you're coming from. I used to think composting was just a way for rich people to feel better about themselves. Then my buddy showed me his backyard setup, just a pile in the corner, and the dirt smelled like earth, not garbage. It looked way easier than I thought. Now I'm three weeks into a bin I built myself from scrap wood. It's not pretty but it works. Mrs. Garcia's tomatoes sound like a solid reason to start.

finleym4325d ago

Right, the smell thing is what got me too. I was the same way, thought it was gonna be this gross, rotting mess. But Mrs. Garcia's secret is she mixes in dry leaves and cardboard, so it never gets slimy. It just smells like dirt and leaves, which is actually kinda nice. The real shocker was how fast the soil improves. My neighbor had sad, spindly plants for years, and after one season of compost, his peppers were the size of my fist. It's not even a hobby, it's just a way to stop throwing money away on bagged soil that's full of chemicals. Now I'm looking at my kitchen scraps and seeing next year's garden.