The comment: "If you do not have worms in your soil, you have nematodes" really stuck with me.
Solution: add lots of organic matter.
An old plastic gallon juice pitcher, next to the kitchen sink, holds my kitchen liquids that contain anything plants might find beneficial. This includes liquids from canned goods, drained pasta water, rinsed out cans/bottles of mustard, tomato paste, and the like all get poured into the pitcher.
A small, white paint bucket with lid next to the pitcher, serves to store scraps of fruits and vegetables until they make it out to the garden.
A note about store bought compost. Don't be tricked (I was) by the bags of $1.25 compost at Wal-mart, Lowes, and Home Depot. It is burnt sand with no nutrients. See a prior post about Lee County Compost.
