Compost benefits the garden as well as the environment. Photo: Pixabay.com The process of composting is good for your garden and for the environment. Home composting allows gardeners to recycle organic material while conserving landfill space and reducing reliance on fossil fuel.
Decomposition occurs naturally over time, affecting all organic matter. Managing the process for soil improvement in a compost pile provides rich organic material for the garden.
Compost is multi-purpose. It can be used as mulch, topdressing, soil amendment, or as an organic fertilizer. Adding compost to the garden is one of the best ways to improve soil and support plant health.
Soil science now advises gardeners to refrain from disturbing the soil in order to preserve the vast web of life beneath the surface including beneficial bacteria, fungi, algae, and other microbes that enrich soil.
Of the many different types of materials that can be used to cover the ground, only mulch derived from plants benefits the soil and the garden. Learn why.
The real work of composting is done by a variety of underground inhabitants including earthworms, sowbugs, bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms. Some you can see, but most you cannot.
