If you’ve thought about composting, but have been apprehensive to try it, there a couple of very easy ways to improve your soil (for free!) without having a compost heap.
(Although composting is very easy, easier than dealing with stinky trash!)
These easy things simply begin with two magic things…
- Eggshells
- Coffee & Tea Grounds
These two specifically don’t necessarily need to ‘compost’ before using directly on plants. This is great if you don’t want a compost heap.
Coffee & Tea Grounds
Coffee grounds are a natural fertilizer and improve soil texture. Coffee is full of nitrogen that all plants love! The coffee bean has around 10% nitrogen. You can add it around trees, shrubs, roses, vegetable plants, and even lettuce. Use a half inch layer for trees, sprinkle it on the soil for vegetables. The thing to do here is not to pile it on, just spread it out as a thin layer around your plants.
Decomposing coffee grounds are actually around a neutral pH, so it’s not going to change your soil’s alkalinity or acidity really. Out of the coffee pot, the grounds are only mildly acidic or alkaline, depending on various factors.
Coffee grounds act somewhat as a slug deterrent, and also fights of fungal diseases. As the coffee decomposes, it will likely grow its own fungi that fights off other fungi. You can think of it as penicillin, which was a mold itself!
Eggshells
Eggshells are made of calcium, and this adds an essential nutrient to the soil. It too improves the structure of the soil.
Simply allow your eggshells to dry after using the egg. Double baggie them and crush them up with the end of a glass. Just sprinkle on the top of the soil around the plant like you would the coffee grounds.
Getting the Hang Of It?
If you’re feeling frisky and comfortable with coffee and egg shells, add in banana peels or apple cores. You can stick them right under a bush or tree and cover up with mulch. They’ll decompose very quickly. The stickers on those fruits however, really won’t decompose. Banana peels and apple cores will add all kinds of nutrients like calcium, potassium, sulphur, and sodium.
EARTHeim Landscape Design Lexington Kentucky 
Throughout the winter I add everything to my garden, kind of some here some there type of a thing, lots of eggshells and potato peels and in the spring I plan to just rotatill them into the dirt. They will decompose but still be beneficial to the soil and plants. Great tips you ate offering in your blog post, it is definitely easier than most people think!
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Potato skins would also be great to add; nice tip about waiting until spring to till them in. Thanks!
Great, simple tips! Thanks!