Benefits of Composting

An increasing amount of people are becoming environmentally aware of the effects that chemical fertilizers are having on our environment. Not only can they leave a build up of heavy metals such as cadmium and lead in the soil, they can kill the natural micro organisms that help make your soil fertile and leave you relying on chemical based compounds forever more. Also the run off from soil that has been treated with chemical fertilizers is extremely toxic and it can pollute waterways causing a detrimental effect to the environment.

A much more efficient and eco-friendly way to enhance your soil is by composting.

Some of the key benefits to creating your own compost are:

Composting can enhance the condition of what could have been unworkable land. It can allow you to make use of an area you thought was beyond hope. It increases the soils ability to hold water and helps keep the soils temperature stable. This will protect the plants roots from extreme temperature changes. It also reduces toxic run off and will bind some toxins and prevent them from entering the ecosystem.

The nutrients which are abundant within compost are released gradually. This allows the plants time to absorb the much needed nutrients without over fertilizing them, which can occur with chemical fertilizers.

Your plants will be healthier, as many diseases are caused by an inadequate amount of good micro organisms in the soil such as fungi, and compost is packed with these vital microbes that will help your plants thrive.

Composting will cut down on your refuse and makes use of materials that would otherwise be contributing to a mountain of a land fill. Also it is far cheaper to compost than to go and buy new soil.

You can use a vast array of material in your composting heap. You can use almost any garden waste such as grass cuttings, leaves, pieces of paper and similar items. Also the kitchen is a great place to find material to fill your composting bin. Vegetable waste is created nearly everyday and before long you will have saved yourself many bin bags full of waste. You should avoid any meat or animal products in your pile as this can be very unpleasant to smell and you may draw unwanted scavengers to the area.

It may take from three months or even nine months for your fertilizer to have reached a condition where it is ready to use. This all depends on what the main materials you have used to compost are and how large your composting pile is. You will know when it is ready when it is dark and slightly crumbly, and it should have no strong or offensive odor.

You will most likely see some worms which are a great asset to your soil . They will help aerate the soil and break down any tougher material that the bacteria and fungi couldn't. Also there may be snails and slugs which you should avoid putting on your plants as they will eat them. They are perfectly safe in the compost bin and will, along with the worms, break down the composting material more efficiently.

You can use your compost on most areas of your garden, the trees, grass an plants will all benefit from the added nutrients that you work and patience has provided.