The Benefits of Compost

Composting is the process of recycling organic materials to create a rich, nutrient high soil.  Weather you create your own compost, or purchase from one of the many distributors popping up it's worth your time to do some research  The benefits of compost on the environment and your garden are numerous.  Although I do compost in my own back yard I won't profess to be an expert of the process.  If you would like to learn more on composting I find http://www.compostjunkie.com/ to be a great resource.  I do believe in the advantages that composting provides.  Composting is a natural, economical means of using our own resources to promote a healthier lifestyle.


It has been estimated by the EPA that as much as 20% of landfill waste is contributed by yard and food discards.  If all of that available resource were recycled for use plenty of depleted soil would be enriched.  Although compost is greatly associated with gardening it has also been shown to prevent erosion of turf and embankments.  Compost has the ability to neutralize both acid and alkaline in soil for healthier plants and a stable root system.  Plants with a stable root system are proven to produce a much more abundant crop.  Adding compost to your garden has also shown to ward off plant diseases.

Compost is beneficial to all types of soil.  Even sandy and clay soil become manageable when adding compost.  Sandy soil will retain moisture, and the bonded particles of clay soil tend to break up.  Compost releases nutrients slowly, sometimes over a period of a year, unlike fertilizer.  You could  purchase two to four bags of garden fertilizer in a year.  Compare that to a garden strongly enriched with a mound of compost you've created.  In addition compost contain microorganisms that help maintain pests in the soil reducing the need for insecticide.  Insecticide and fertilizer products are the main cause of run off which pollute our rivers and streams.  Compost not only reduces waste, it also helps preserves the earths endangered waters.

Soil that has been fed with compost will retain moisture lowering the need to add water to your garden.  Compost also has a significant ability to "clean and deodorize" soil that has begun to smell of rot and appear unusable.  Unfriendly soil containments are tightly bound by compost, including hydrocarbons,  leaving them unable to cause further damage.  Composting will also produce micornutrients for maximum healthful benefits.  Your agricultural yield will have more hardiness from the additional nutrients added to the soil. 

I could not imagine gardening without using compost.  The economical and environmental benefits make the effort a necessity.  Knowing I am producing a yield that is the best I can grow makes the outcome impressive.