No doubt you have heard of home composting, but do you do it? Composting is a richly rewarding activity that will allow you to recycle the green waste you produce and use it as a valuable resource for your garden. What could be better than that?
There are many positive effects of compost in the garden. The most noticeable effect is the improvement of the soil. When you mix organic material such as compost into your garden soil, you develop a healthier place for plants to grow and thrive. The compost will help the soil hold moisture better, while also allowing it to drain properly.
Compost is the perfect amendment for all kinds of soils. If you have sandy soil that dries out too quickly, adding rich organic compost will help that soil stay moist longer, without being soggy. This will help the plants get the amount of moisture that they need to grow properly. On the flip side, if you have clay soil you will notice that it is thick and becomes almost boggy when it gets too wet. Compost will help lighten the soil and allow it to drain. If your soil is primarily clay, you might want to mix some sand in along with the compost.
Not only is compost a good soil additive, it can be used as a mulch around the plants. Adding organic mulch like compost can help keep the soil moist, which is a good thing during hot summer months. Using mulch to help the plants stay moist will help prevent wilting and plant stress on hot days. You will have a healthier crop of produce if the plants don't get stressed.
The process of creating the compost also has a positive effect on your garden. It not only benefits the garden, but the landfill as well. By using the dying plants, grass clippings, etc. in the compost you are keeping this organic material out of the garbage can and ultimately the landfill. So much of what we through away is green waste that can be added to a compost pile and recycled into beneficial mulch.
A beneficial side effect of compost for the garden is the valuable lesson that you can teach your family when you compost. This process helps them to be more attentive to the things they through in the garbage. You can teach your family to be environmentally conscious and help your garden at the same time!
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