Compost: More than Just Garden Fertilizer

If there was just one change you could make in your life that did all of the following, would you be interested?

·         Decrease the amount of garbage sent to landfills

·         Decrease the amount of greenhouse gases produced

·         Conserve water

·         Save money on fertilizer, pesticides

·         Grow bigger, healthier plants

·         Increase the nutritional content of food

Would you believe a simple home compost bin can help accomplish all of these?


My First Taste

I got turned on to compost after my first few years as a novice vegetable gardener. Adding it to my raised 4x8’ community garden bed every year kept yielding bigger and better results.  At first, I bought bags of it, but began to notice that there were several compost bins at the community garden that my fellow gardeners and I piled things into each fall, but that no one knew what to do with beyond that (including how to harvest it).  “We should be using that compost instead of buying it,” I thought.  Especially since the stuff at the bottom of those bins looked more black and rich than the stuff that came in the bags.

So I did some research on composting just to learn some basics, and was astounded to learn all the different ways a simple compost bin contributes to a greener environment (pun intended).

Down and Dirty Facts
Statistically, 25% of the garbage taken to landfills is organic matter. This includes food waste, paper products, etc.  When this matter decomposes without air in a landfill, it converts to methane and other greenhouse gases (think swamp).  Adding this matter to a compost bin not only reduces your garbage, it allows it to decompose aerobically (with air), and without producing greenhouse gas. 

But compost does more than that.  When added to soil, it retains moisture and slowly releases nutrients to plants as they are needed.  Plants that receive a steady supply of food and water need watering less and are better able to withstand pests and disease.  Compost also inoculates soil with billions of beneficial organisms which increase the diversity of the soil and keep it healthy.  A balanced soil ecosystem helps ensure that no one organism will be able to erupt unchecked in the form of a pest or disease.  All of this from organic waste that I used to throw away or send down the garbage disposal.

Homemade compost retains the beneficial organisms which are killed in the 'hot composting' methods necessary for commercial production.  It is also free of harmful substances found in some commercial compost, such as prescription drugs, pesticides, and other chemicals. And, no plastic bags to toss!

Adventures in Composting

After being blown away by all the benefits of compost, and learning how easy it can be, I am now a die-hard home composting fan.  I’ve had to change a few habits to make it part of my routine, but it really doesn’t take up that much more of my time or money.  I LOVE seeing the stuff I add to my compost bin transform into beautiful "black gold."  It is a rewarding process, and I hope that you will join me! 

For information on composting or how to get started, check out these great online resources:

PlowHearth.com - Composting for Beginners (good starter guide)

GardeningKnowHow.com - Ultimate Beginners Guide to Composting (lots of specific topics)

Dummies.com - Composting for Dummies Cheat Sheet (quick and dirty)