Five Reasons to Compost #3

Adding waste to a compost bin...

3. Composting reduces the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Compost strengthens soil and promotes healthy plant growth. Because compost enriches soil and promotes healthy plant growth, plants grown in compost-rich soil tend to be more resilient to diseases, pests, and fungi. The healthy bacteria and critters that are present in compost also help fight off harmful pests and diseases before they can get to plants – thus reducing the need for toxic pesticides.

In addition, compost is a slow-release nutrient source for plants. The diverse materials in compost break down at different rates, slowly releasing nutrients over a long period of time; as opposed to releasing them all at once, as fertilizers do. Compost also contains a greater variety of nutrients than fertilizers, because it is made with so many different types of materials. Because compost both adds nutrients to soil and alters soil structure so that it retains nutrients more effectively, compost reduces the need for fertilizers.

Follow along… we will continue with the reasons to compost on our next blog entry…