How to Make Infertile Soil Fertile

Adding Compost

• 1

  Add 4 to 6 inches of rich, organic material, such as compost, to the top of your bare soil.

• 2

  Till the organic material into the soil to a depth of approximately 8 to 12 inches. For large areas, a power rototiller will get the job done quicker; a handheld manual tiller can work for smaller areas.

• 3

  Allow two to three weeks to pass before planting.

Lasagna Gardening

• 4

  Wait until autumn and lay newspaper or cardboard over the entire area where you wish to plant in the future. Overlap the edges to ensure proper coverage. Autumn is the ideal time to begin lasagna gardening because it can take until the following spring for all of the materials to break down.

• 5

  Water the newspaper or cardboard thoroughly. Adding the water helps prevent the paper product from moving.

• 6

  Alternate layers of green and brown compost material. Green compost consists of wet matter: grass clippings, composted vegetables or fruit, tea or coffee remnants. Brown compost is drier materials: Papers, dried leaves and pine needles are examples. The layers should be a couple of inches thick each, but not too thick, and the entire pile should be at least 1 to 2 feet tall.

• 7

  Water the layered compost lasagna during periods of dry weather. In places with distinct winters or rainy winters, the process occurs naturally due to the precipitation.

• 8

  Wait until the following spring to plant; what is left from the paper and compost is a heaping mound of rich, black, fertile soil.