About Compost
Compost fertilizer is a product that provides valuable nutrients to soil, plants, flowers and vegetables. This fertilizer is formed from the decomposition of organic matter such as plants, fruits and vegetables. Although all organic matter eventually decomposes, composting speeds up the process and helps create nutritious soil.
Composting helps the soil retain water, promotes the healthy development of plant root systems, and is an environmentally friendly and environmentally friendly way to dispose of food waste and compost. It is estimated that food and compost make up about 30 percent of all waste in landfills.
Turning waste into compost leaves valuable space in the landfill. Compost is usually made by collecting waste and organic matter in a container, often called a compost bin.
Composting works best when there is a good balance of green material, such as green grass, forage, plant and fruit waste, and brown waste such as wood, dried leaves , sawdust, grass and leaves. In a compost mix, the green material provides nitrogen, while the brown material provides carbon.
How to prepare compost
Collect and separate your edible kitchen waste (vegetable peelings, fruit peelings, small amounts of cooked food) in a bag.
Now collect dry organic matter such as dried leaves, sawdust and wood ash in small bags.
Take a large bag or clay pot or bucket and poke 4-5 holes in the sides of the bag at different levels to allow air to enter. Now fill the bottom of the bag with a layer of fabric.
Now begin to add food scraps in layers alternating wet scraps (food scraps, vegetable and fruit peelings) and dry scraps (grass, sawdust, Fikiere leaves). Cover the container with plastic sheeting or wooden boards to help retain moisture and heat.
Check the bag every few days and if you think the pile is too dry, sprinkle a little water to keep it moist.
What type of fertilizer is compost
First, it is organic. Most importantly, compost is also a fast-release fertilizer, as explained in my article; The Real Benefits of Organic Fertilizers. Unlike commercial fertilizers, compost adds nutrients to the soil significantly over many years.
In my last post, I discussed the fact that so-called “finished compost” is still decomposing. This continuous decomposition provides a slow release of nutrients into the soil.
The new buzz word is “biofertilizer” and this word seems to be a good choice for compost. Unfortunately, many people have killed the term biofertilizer and this term does not have an accepted definition. Until this mess is resolved, it would be best not to use this term to describe anything.
Advantages of Compost
Using compost as mulch, in the soil or as a plant material is beneficial in many ways.
Compost contains many important plant nutrients. You can test the nutrient levels in your compost and soil to determine what other supplements it may need for a specific plant.
Compost contains a lot of macro and micronutrients that are often missing from synthetic fertilizers. Compost releases nutrients slowly, over months or years, unlike synthetic fertilizers
Composted soil holds fertilizer well. Too little fertilizer will pollute waterways. Compost preserves the soil, neutralizing acidic and alkaline soil, bringing the pH level to the optimum range for plant growth.
Compost brings and nurtures different life in the soil. Bacteria, fungi, insects, worms and others promote healthy plant growth.
Compost bacteria break down organic matter into plant nutrients. Certain bacteria convert nitrogen from the air into plant nutrients.
Soil filled with compost contains many beneficial insects, worms and other organisms that enter the soil and improve the air quality. Compost can prevent harmful diseases and insects that can attack poor, inanimate soil.
Environmental Advantages from Composting
Compost controls EROSION
Also, water holds the potential of compost for the win! We have lost a third of the planet’s arable land in the last 40 years to erosion and pollution. Too much water causes erosion.
Being unable to penetrate the soil, the water freezes on the surface and runs to a higher place, carrying it to the surface of the soil and draining the soil in the process. . Compost acts as a platform that allows more water to seep into the soil, keeping the topsoil where it belongs… up!
Takes carbon out of the air and puts it back into the soil!
That’s good! More than just reducing the amount of GHG we produce, using compost on the ground SEQUERS (a fancy word for “hide”) the carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere! Compost is home to a variety of beneficial microbes that plants need to absorb nutrients.
To keep these friends, plant roots release carbohydrates from their roots to attract and feed underground microbes. Where do plants get delicious party food? They take CO2 from the air and water from their roots, through photosynthesis, turn it into carbohydrates or sugars!
Together, these sugars and the microbes that enjoy them create humus – not another food, but a part of the soil that holds soil structure, nutrients and water.
It is also the part of the soil that is responsible for keeping the recently stored carbon underground. Thanks to the environment that compost promotes, carbon once in the air can be stored safely in the soil where it can be stored with proper agricultural practices!
Compost helps regenerate and filter local water sources
Compost can hold 5 to 20 times its weight in water, so adding compost to the soil increases the amount of water that can be absorbed into the soil. Not only is this great news for crops, but it also means that water can fall into endless bedrock where it swells and fills springs, lakes and ponds.
As it passes through layers of compost, soil and rock, the water is filtered as it travels to these water sources. It is expected that 40% of the total rainfall will come from these water sources, which means that compost can play a big role in improving the use of rainwater in the region.
