What Are the Beneficial Effects of Composting?
- Purchased compost can cost $100 per ton.Paul Viant/Stockbyte/Getty Images
Natural composting happens every day. As vegetation falls to the ground, it decomposes and returns minerals and nutrients to the soil for the use of plants and microorganisms. Composting is a popular activity for gardeners who enjoy its many benefits. Compost is created by combining organic waste materials, such as yard trimmings and leftover foods. The result of composting is a rich, dark brown or black mixture with an earthy smell similar to soil. - Wood chips provide organic bulk in composting.compost surface. image by mdb from Fotolia.com
Compost can transform poor soils into nutrient-rich soils. During the composting process, bacteria and fungi decompose organic matter, turning it into humus. Humus, in turn, adds beneficial nutrients and microorganisms to soils. In addition, humus helps soils retain their moisture. Compost suppresses plant diseases and pests and improves the yield of farming crops. The high temperatures present during the composting cycle destroy pathogens and weed seeds. Therefore, compost can reduce or even eliminate the need to use chemical herbicides and fertilizers. While compost improves the soil composition of gardens and lawns, scientists with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency do not recommend using it as a planting medium for houseplants because doing so may add grass and weed seeds to their pots. - Compost captures 99 percent of pollutants in contaminated soils, says the U.S. EPA.dirt image by jackie from Fotolia.com
Mature compost is devoid of harmful chemicals and pollutants. The composting process destroys odors, volatile organic compounds, wood preservatives, pesticides, chlorine, heating fuels, hydrocarbons and explosives that may have been present in the starting material. In addition, it binds heavy metals, preventing them from being absorbed by plants or filtering down to the water table.
Yard waste and excess food comprise 23 percent of materials going to landfills, according to U.S. EPA research. Composting this organic waste eliminates the amount of methane produced in landfills.
Compost also strains pollutants from rainwater before it reaches surface water resources. When placed on embankments near creeks, lakes, rivers, roadsides, hillsides, playing fields and golf courses, compost helps prevent erosion. - Composting saves landfill space.garbage image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
Those who use compost save money in a variety of ways. Compost reduces the need for water, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Farmers find savings in using compost rather than fertilizers to enhance the soil of their fields, which also increases crop yields. Landscapers and gardeners use compost to improve soil composition and for decorative purposes around homes and commercial properties. Landfill operators use compost to cover landfills. Nurseries use compost to feed plants and prevent diseases such as root rot. Government agencies use compost for landscaping highways, parks, recreational areas and other public properties. Homeowners use compost to improve garden and lawn soil and as a protective mulch for trees and shrubs.
