Compost adds nutrients and has the ability to retain moisture to help plants grow. It also revitalizes soil that is otherwise weak in plant nutrients.Compost is a natural fertilizer that nourishes the soil and loosens it to allow roots to spread, thrive and survive. Gardens that have been nourished by compost tend to double their growth and crop yield, if not more. A compost heap is a combination of organic vegetable material that will decompose over time to create a rich humus that can be integrated into garden soil, your balcony pots or kitchen garden to encourage plant growth. Any and all vegetable matter and plant based matter from the kitchen or yard makes for good compost. A compost heap needs some degree of moisture and occasional aeration for the organisms breaking down the vegetable material to produce the wonderfully rich soil. If you are making compost, the best compost is a moist, soil-like mixture. When it's done, you should not be able to recognize any of the original materials you added to the heap. It should be a brown or dark colour and might actually steam a bit and feel warm. That's all good. Incorporate it into your garden and watch your garden grow!Image: Ingrid Balabanova/Shutterstock