The Thing About Poop: Building the Best Garden Soil Naturally


Part of living a sustainable life—a big part, actually—is your garden. Almost everyone can grow something. Maybe not everything you want (plants are picky about zones, weather, and timing), but something.

You can cheat the seasons with a greenhouse, but let’s be real: they’re not always practical. What is practical, though, is building great dirt. And I mean really good soil—the kind with the right pH to grow food that feeds you back.

Let’s Talk About pH (Without Making Your Eyes Glaze Over)

Everyone knows about compost and fertilizer, but pH is often overlooked. Think of it as the fine-tuning knob of soil health. If your plants aren’t thriving, pH might be the sneaky culprit.

Now, I’m chaos personified—so don’t worry if this all sounds too “science-y.” It took me way too many seasons to figure this out. But once I did, my garden took off.

Let me save you the trouble.

DIY Garden Soil Recipe (aka The Poop Method)
2024 "Tomato Tree"

Here’s what you need to make rich, productive garden soil without breaking the bank:

  • Rabbit manure – A miracle “cold” fertilizer you can use fresh.

  • Peat moss – Helps regulate acidity and improves texture.

  • pH test strips  – Essential for knowing where your soil stands.

  • Wood ash (free!) – Raises pH naturally.

  • Sulfur (optional) – Sold at most garden centers to lower pH.

  • Soil thermometer  – Helps time your seed sowing perfectly.

How I Build Soil in Raised Beds

I grow a mix of in-ground crops (asparagus, potatoes, figs) and everything else in shallow raised beds. Here's how I prep the beds each winter:

  1. Clean out the rabbitry
    I collect the manure and dropped hay, sifting most of the rough stuff out.

  2. Pile it into the beds
    I layer it into the raised beds, then lightly season it with wood ash from our wood stove. Firepit, fireplace, or burn barrel ash all work too—just don’t overdo it. Give it a good mix and break up the bunny berries with this amazing cultivator from Amazon.  Add hydrated peat moss

  3. Peat moss is seriously hydrophobic, so I soak it in my yard wagon first. Then I mix it into the bed to reach my desired soil depth.

  4. Let it rest
    I give it a good soak and walk away. Real talk: I usually don’t get back to it for two weeks. That’s okay, because guess what it's doing? Composting!

November 2024 Nasturtiums

Testing pH, My Way

Most guides tell you to use distilled water to test pH. But I use my well water, because that’s what I’ll actually be watering with. Scientific? No. Logical? Yes.

I make a small hole, press a pH strip in so it contacts the soil, then compare it to the color chart. You want to aim for around 6.5 for most plants.

  • Need more acidity? Add peat moss.

  • Need more alkalinity? Add rabbit poop or a pinch of wood ash.

  • Still high? Use sulfur to drop the pH slightly.

2024 bush beans
0242
Tailoring Soil for Different Plants

Once your pH is close, you can tweak it for specific crops:

  • Blueberries & asparagus – Prefer more acidic soil (closer to 5.0).

  • Most vegetables – Thrive between 6.0 and 6.5.

Check the back of your seed packets—they’ll tell you the pH range and soil temperature for sowing. That’s where your handy soil thermometer earns its keep.

Mulch & Maintenance

After planting, I mulch with a clean, commercially available straw. It helps regulate soil temperature, retains moisture, and suppresses weeds. Cheap, easy, effective.

Poop: The Secret Ingredient

Rabbit manure is my not-so-secret weapon. It’s a cold manure, meaning it can go straight into the garden—no composting required. Bird manure, on the other hand, is hot (high in nitrogen), and must be composted to avoid burning your plants.

  • Cool manures: Rabbit, horse (light composting helps)

  • Hot manures: Chicken, cow, pig (must be composted)

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to spend a fortune on bagged soil to grow food. With a little poop, a few tweaks, and
some patience, you can grow lush, healthy plants that nourish your body and soul.

Let your rabbits feed you twice—once with meat, and again with veggies.





This post contains affiliate links. I will never link to something I haven't purchased, used and loved and wouldn't recommend to my family and friends.


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