So why make the effort to compost? If nothing else, composting is the greatest form of recycling. It returns back to the earth what we have taken from it and results in a completely recycled, beneficial product we composters like to call “black gold”. It is also a money saver. Did you know that on average, households dispose of 10% of food brought into the house? If most of that gets composted you can recoup those costs and even feel OK about “throwing away” that stale bread or corn chips knowing you will get black gold in return. What a great way to divert things from the waste stream.
It can be easily said that compost is the most important part of gardening for the benefits it provides to the soil. Practically speaking, it saves energy and money on many levels in that you don’t have to bag and drag your leaves to the curb, only to have the city pick them up, compost them and then sell them back to you. This entire loop can occur without having to leave your backyard. And if you don’t have leaves in your own yard, grab the ones your neighbors set out for the county to dispose of and start enriching your soil.
Composting also conserves energy by eliminating the need to use a garbage disposal. This minimizes strain on the environment because less energy needs to be used to clean the water at the waste-water treatment plants. Did you know all those scraps you put down the garbage disposal have to be filtered out once they reach the treatment plant? This is a very energy intensive process which you can prevent just by burying food scraps in your leaf pile and returning that nourishment back to the earth. Up to 75% of household garbage is made up of organic matter and in theory can be composted. That’s a huge load off of our quickly overflowing landfills! (Side note: Meat and dairy products will easily decompose, however, it is not recommended to put these in your compost piles as they can attract unwanted wildlife.)
So how do you use compost? If you start adding compost around your plants, trees and shrubs on a regular basis, it will be the only thing you really need for healthy, drought and pest resistant plants. Compost acts as a slow release fertilizer which provides micronutrients, increases moisture retention of the soil which offers protection during drought, feeds beneficial earthworms, and controls erosion, weeds and soil pH. There are no chemical fertilizers that can claim to do the same. Compost is a must for a thriving, healthy garden which produces vegetables full of nutrients rivaling anything you will find in the grocery store. Even if you don’t want to make your own compost, merely raking your leaves under and around trees and bushes, being careful to keep it a couple of inches away from the trunks, can greatly benefit these plantings by acting as a mulch and slow release fertilizer. In effect, this is a slow form of composting.
So whether you use a fancy composter or just collect piles of leaves in a corner of your yard, you can easily make your own black gold. You will greatly enhance your soil quality, which is the most important factor for growing anything, while doing your part in protecting the environment. In addition you will be able to nourish yourself and family from the bounty that grows from the nutrient rich soils of your garden.
