Jane: I have amended the soil here with alfalfa pellets which has worked very well. I buy horse or any animal feed and just take a couple of handfuls in the planting hole. It takes a couple of months for the green manure to breakdown and what's left is great stuff. I think Alberto referred to vegetal fertilizers which I assume is what I have been doing. Why waste time and money and have some one compost it for you when you can do it right in the planting hole. Arnold