What is compost and why start composting

Wire Composter Bin

To really understand what compost is you need to know what it is not. Composting is not a method to recycle everything you have in your home. You can’t compost anything and expect to receive beneficial results. Compost is a mix of organic table and garden scraps that have been partly decomposed to form a rich source of nutrients for plants. Items such as vegetable scraps, orange peels, wood chips, leaves, eggshells etc. make good compost material.

The best compost when done properly will become filled with earthworms and other microorganisms that help breakdown soil nutrients into a form that can be easily absorbed by your plants. Compost can be freely applied in any amount to enrich and condition soil when your ready to grow a new garden or to an existing garden that needs a spark of life.

Another major advantage of composting kitchen scraps, or other organic waste matter is recycling them into something that can benefit the environment. Did you know that an estimated 20 to 30 percent of the garbage in landfills is actually yard and kitchen waste?

This is waste that can be used in a positive way that benefits everyone. The organic waste that you produce both in and around your household, will go back into the environment and replenish soil that has been depleted of its nutrients during the growing season. You will find that composting is a great money saving advantage if you enjoy yard work, planting flowers, trees or gardens.

Now that you have a general idea of what composting is, you need to know exactly how to compost.

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