Garden Articles

Why Not Let It Rot?
     by Linda Gunvalson, UCCE Master Gardener of Amador County

Composting is a very personal choice to redirect waste from the landfill and instead, to add essential nutrients to the soil and feed our plants. Once the habit of composting is established, it is hard to imagine not composting.

The benefits are visible:

1. We reduce the waste leaving our homes for landfill. By diverting our vegetable and fruit scraps (nitrogen) and our paper and plant clippings (carbon) we amend the soil and return the nutrients to the soil completing a rich cycle of life. In addition, home composting promotes aerobic decomposition, reducing greenhouse gases. Landfill produces anaerobic, slow, decomposition adding greenhouse gases to our air.
2. We notice that there is less need for other amendments to the soil. All our healthy food scraps become a resource for minerals and nutrients growing plants need.

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