Composting is a natural process that turns waste into nutrient-rich soil that is beneficial for your garden. It can help reduce greenhouse gases and methane emissions, too.
Many people compost their food scraps to cut down on their landfill use. It also saves them money on waste collection costs.
1. It Adds Nutrients
Composting is a natural process that recycles organic waste into nutrient-rich soil additives. It also reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers used in a garden, which can be environmentally damaging.
It’s a good idea to compost your kitchen scraps and yard trimmings on a regular basis, or to drop them off at your local farmer’s market. Food waste contains nitrogen, which is important for plants.
A well-balanced compost pile consists of a combination of green materials (food scraps, grass clippings) and brown material (leaves, shredded paper, dried plant matter). The right ratio of these elements will produce the best compost.
The microorganisms that decompose the compost are responsible for a number of interesting and useful processes, including releasing nutrients into the soil. They also produce odors that help to attract insects and other wildlife.
2. It Helps to Control Pests and Diseases
Composting is the process of converting organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil amendment or mulch through a controlled aerobic (oxygen-required) decomposition. The microorganisms that live in a compost pile eat the materials, use carbon and nitrogen to grow and reproduce, and drink water to digest them.
It’s important to make sure you only add the right kinds of materials to your compost pile to help it decompose properly. For example, adding grass clippings, kitchen scraps and other green wastes to your compost pile is a good idea because these materials contain high amounts of nitrogen which helps speed up the decomposition process.
However, if you have black walnut leaves and twigs in your garden, avoid throwing them in your compost pile as they contain juglone which can stunt plant growth. Although research suggests that juglone may break down over time, it’s best to leave it out of your compost pile altogether.
Besides improving your garden, composting also reduces the need for harmful pesticides and fungicides to control pests and diseases. Using compost in your garden helps to aerate the soil, making it more attractive to beneficial insects and microorganisms that are known to help control pests and diseases.
3. It Reduces Soil Erosion
One of the most significant benefits of composting for your garden is that it reduces soil erosion. It’s a major issue around the world and is causing a serious loss of fertility, which can impact future food production.
Composting can help reduce this problem by adding nutrients to the soil, and it also helps to improve the moisture levels of the soil. This allows it to retain more water for longer periods of time, and it can even help you save on your monthly irrigation costs in the long run!
Composting is also a great way to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills. It can also help to divert a lot of yard and kitchen waste that might otherwise go into the trash.
4. It Helps to Maintain Soil Moisture
Compost adds organic matter to the soil that helps improve its texture and water holding capacity. This boost is especially important for sandy soils.
Keeping the soil moisture in your garden is critical to the health of your plants. Low soil moisture will stop microbial activity while high moisture can fill the pores, making it difficult for oxygen to penetrate.
Soil with lots of beneficial microorganisms in it, like earthworms and fungi, can help maintain the proper balance of disease-fighting organisms. They also keep weeds at bay by burrowing through the soil and keeping them out of the way of healthy plant roots.
It also aids in creating better drainage and improves the soil’s aeration. This means that plants can get nutrients into their root systems more easily.