Compost fertilizer, when added to soil and compost, can reduce the need for irrigation as it has excellent water retention properties. Composting offers a wide range of environmental, economic, and social benefits on both large and small scales. Dr. Connie’s Natural Solutions explains a few of these benefits.
Compost Fertilizer Benefits Soil
1. You don’t need to use chemicals.
Chemical fertilizers not only provide nutrients to the soil but also have a range of environmental impacts. Their production, transportation, and application require time and money and generate carbon emissions due to the use of non-renewable petroleum products. The process of extracting these fossil fuels has a significant carbon footprint, and converting them into fertilizers and transporting them requires additional energy.
2. The soil will have a greater amount of moisture.
Studies have demonstrated that the use of compost fertilizer can decrease the formation of soil crusts, making it easier for water to penetrate the soil. Compost fertilizer also aids in the lateral dispersion of water from the point of impact, leading to reduced evaporation. All of these benefits contribute to improving the effectiveness of water delivery to plant roots.
3. Compost fertilizer provides nutrients to the soil.
As compost decomposes, it releases essential nutrients into the soil, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are the primary nutrients required for plant growth. The use of compost not only nourishes the plants growing in the soil but does so by utilizing readily available materials, many of which are either free or byproducts of the food system. Additionally, compost enhances the diversity and quantity of beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil, which aids in promoting plant growth.
Compost Fertilizer Helps Plants
1. Compost fertilizer plays a role in plant growth.
Produce grown in compost typically exhibits superior quality. For instance, a study on quinoa plants in India demonstrated that compost led to enhanced antioxidant defense mechanisms, resulting in an increased ability of plants to absorb nutrients from the soil. Another long-term study conducted in China revealed that the use of compost in wheat fields resulted in substantially higher yields in comparison to a control field where uncomposted soil was used.
2. Your plants will live longer.
Composting not only leads to the growth of more plants but also strengthens them, thereby reducing the likelihood of diseases. This is particularly advantageous since crop failure incurs costs for both home gardeners and farmers. Thus, the use of compost represents a cost-effective means of growing plants.
Compost Fertilizer Helps the Environment
1. It reduces gas emissions.
When organic materials undergo anaerobic decomposition in oxygen-deprived environments such as landfills, it generates methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. To mitigate methane production from landfills, composting materials that undergo anaerobic decomposition is an effective solution.
2. It reduces the amount of waste you produce.
Food scraps and yard waste make up over 30% of the average waste stream, representing a substantial portion that could be diverted from landfills, thereby saving space and reducing costs for municipalities. Rather than being discarded, these materials can be repurposed into valuable resources that can serve as a substitute for expensive chemical fertilizers utilized by municipalities or provide nourishment for home gardens at no cost.
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