Recycling in Connecticut: Benefits of Using Compost in Your Garden
While we usually consider composting as a byproduct of disposing of household waste, there are many benefits to this recycling practice that can improve your garden and the environment as a whole. Composting is a natural process that turns organic material into a rich dark material, also called humus that is an ideal conditioner for your garden soil.
A good place to obtain this decomposed organic matter that is high in nutrients is to start with your own backyard compost pile, using everything from food leftovers, coffee grounds and egg shells to yard waste. Not only is having compost pile a good way to create a boost to the soil for your garden, it cuts down on waste too. It also reduces the need to burn or bury waste, so it is an environmentally responsible way to dispose of debris.
Composting Protects the Environment
Nearly a fourth of the entire municipal garbage stream in the country is made up of food waste and yard trimmings, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. By keeping these materials out of the trash and diverting them to a beneficial use, a big part of the nation’s waste can be recycled and reused.
Composting is an easy, free and convenient method of creating a great conditioner for your garden or plant soil. Just start a pile in your backyard or purchase a self-contained composting bin from your local hardware supply store if you have limited space on an apartment patio or deck.
With composting there’s no reason to bag leaves and grass clippings or biodegradable kitchen garbage when you can simply throw these on the backyard pile or in the bin and let them turn into a rich soil conditioner or mulch. This organic matter will make your garden flourish and your plants grow bigger and better.
Soil Is Improved by Composting
Not only does compost help reduce pollution risks, but it helps the soil hold nutrients and water and improves the structure of the soil. Soil with a healthy structure crumbles to the touch and allows plenty of room to allow air and water to move freely. Poor soil with a lot of sand and clay, which are inorganic particles, benefits from the addition of humus from composting.
Not only does composting provide a better garden, it makes financial sense because you can save money on buying lawn and garden products and perhaps even reduce your garbage removal costs if you are charged by volume.
Key Takeaways:
- Composting is a great way to recycle scrap food materials, grass clippings and leaves.
- Helps boost the soil in your garden, improving the structure of the soil.