7 Convincing Reasons You Should Be Making Compost For Your Garden

Composting has become red hot, and that’s an eco-friendly wave we should keep riding forever. But making compost out of yard waste and kitchen scraps isn’t just a feel good way to keep plant-based stuff out of your local landfill. Homemade compost is a really, really good soil amendment for your garden. Many would even argue that it’s better than anything you could ever buy in a bag. Any one of the reasons below would be enough to start composting at home, but add them all up, and it’s a home run.

1.Compost reduces the need for fertilizer because the microorganisms in compost convert nitrogen into a form that’s usable for plants.

2.Studies indicate that gardens amended with homemade compost consistently produce healthier plants, and have better soil fertility, than gardens amended with fertilizer alone.

3.Compost releases nutrients slowly, allowing new plants to become established and begin growing at the proper rate.

4.Compost nourishes earthworms and supports beneficial microorganisms in the soil.

5.Compost buffers toxins in the soil and helps maintain ideal pH levels, which maximizes nutrient availability.

6.Compost helps suppress many plant diseases, including fusarium crown and root rot.

7.Compost helps create soil structure with the ideal balance of drainage and water retention properties, which allows nutrients and water to be absorbed by plants more efficiently.