can hold onto and exchange a far greater amount of
these nutrients.
Give back to the soil as much as you have taken—and a little bit
more—and Nature will provide for you abundantly!
— ALAN CHADWICKSoil and Other Materials in the Compost Pile
It is important to add soil to your compost pile. The soil
contains a good starter supply of microorganisms. It also
contains some bacteria of a type that helps stabilize
nitrogen in a pile. The organisms help in several ways.
Some break down complex compounds into simpler
ones the plants can utilize. There are many species of
free-living bacteria that 9x nitrogen from the air in a
form available to plants. Many microorganisms tie up
nitrogen surpluses. The surpluses are released gradually
as the plants need nitrogen. An excessive concentration
of available nitrogen in the soil (which makes plants
susceptible to disease) is therefore avoided. There are
predaceous fungi that attack and devour nematodes (see
this page), but these fungi are only found in large
amounts in a soil with adequate humus.
Note: The soil for your compost piles comes from the first trench of your double-dug
beds. As your bed soil improves, your compost will also improve. Also, the soil in the
compost pile becomes “like compost.” It holds compost juices, microbes, and
minerals that would otherwise leach out of the pile. It is one way to get “more”