Back to Back Issues Page
[Tomato Dirt #371] What ingredients do I need to start (or grow) my compost pile?
September 24, 2026

Tomato Dirt Newsletter
Volume 16, Number 20

Dear Tomato Dirt reader,

Welcome back to Tomato Dirt! A couple times a month, we’ll send you this newsletter packed with tips about growing tomatoes and using them.


NEW! Tomato Season Review Printable from Tomato Dirt


Remember your best tomatoes—and learn from the ones that didn't make the cut!

Tomato Dirt’s new Tomato Season Review Printable helps you capture what worked, what didn’t, and what you want to do differently next year.

Track your favorite varieties, biggest successes, pest and disease problems, harvest highlights, and more.

Next year’s best tomato garden starts with learning from this year.

Grab your printable and start your tomato season review today.


Check for tomato growing tips each day on our Facebook page


Each day, we post helpful tomato growing tips on our Facebook page.

You’re invited to like the page and get plenty of tomato growing tips. And please share the new page with other gardeners you know!

Hop on over to Facebook and click “Like” right now, while you’re thinking about it.


FEATURE: What Ingredients Do I Need To Build My Compost Pile?


Image: Tomato Dirt

Compost has a reputation for being complicated.

Carbon-to-nitrogen ratios.

Browns and greens.

Moisture.

Aeration.

Temperature.

Suddenly, tossing a banana peel into a pile of leaves sounds like advanced chemistry.

Fortunately, compost ingredients are much simpler than they sound. At its heart, a compost pile needs four things

(Keep reading…)


Best Tips for Growing Tomatoes: Bestseller in 89 Countries


THE tomato-growing Bible and best-seller in 89 countries: How to Grow Juicy Tomatoes. Two horticulturalists combine forces to give you advice about the right way to prune, fertilize, water and stake tomatoes.

You’ll be able to diagnose pest and disease problems using step by step priceless information, illustrated with 260 full color photos.

Get the book and you’ll also get 6 free bonuses, including the Family Tomato Cookbook and a database of 1300 varieties of tomatoes. More details here.


Tomato Growing Tip: The Best Compost Mix Is ...


Image: Tomato Dirt


Get more tips for growing tomatoes on our Tomato Growing Tips Pinterest board.


Build A Shed In A Weekend – With No Woodworking Experience


Winter is just around the corner. And that’s a perfect time to get the shed you’ve been dreaming about. And you can build it yourself!

Ryan Henderson has taught more than 4,000 people to build professional looking sheds. He has even taught absolute newbies – those without ANY experience at all. Each of his plans includes a complete materials list, step-by-step directions, and photos and instructions. No extra trips to Home Depot or Lowe’s. You won’t be guessing whether you’ve got it right not.

And now you can get Ryan’s Shed Plans at a special rate. (Check it out here.)

Why not build the shed you’ve wanted and needed … and save a bundle in the process?

Check out Ryan’s Shed Plans here.


More Backyard Composting Tips

Get Started Composting In The Fall: A Quick Guide 4 Types of Compost Bins: Which Is Best For You? How To Compost Tomato Plants 2 Types of Composting for the Home Gardneer

That’s it for now. More next time.

Until then, happy gardening!




Kathy with Tomato Dirt
www.tomatodirt.com
Find us on Facebook!

Back to Back Issues Page