Q: I’m planning my vegetable garden for next year and I heard that Cobb County gives away free compost. How much do I need for a fifteen by eight foot plot?

A: Both DeKalb and Cobb counties offer free compost on certain pickup days. I have details on both at How To Get Free Compost. You need a two inch layer of compost on top of your garden soil. Your garden contains one hundred and twenty square feet, so it needs about twenty cubic feet of organic matter.