Gardeners love compost for good reason—it turns scraps into rich, black gold that fuels vibrant growth. But here's the twist: even the best compost can backfire if it goes into the soil at the wrong ...

Soil drives everything in a garden, yet most people focus only on what grows above ground. Rich, well-balanced soil fuels stronger roots, better water retention, and healthier plants from day one.

As a young boy, I had to contend with my grandfather’s compost heap. It was a veritable Vesuvius of foul-smelling, putrescible plant waste, a metre high and hidden behind a privet hedge. We had placed ...