Just as organic fertilizer helps feed and nourish your plants, compost energizes your soil with rich nutrients so that healthy plant growth is possible.
To put it more simply, composting allows naturally occurring microbes to convert leaves and grass clippings into useful organic soil amendment. This process helps replenish your yard by providing the essential nutrients it needs to thrive.
You’ve probably seen advertisements for in-home compost bins online. But you might be left wondering if composting is something you should do on your own, or if other organic options are available that involve less mess, and most importantly, will ensure that your compost contains quality organic matter vs. bad bacteria that could harm your plants.
In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of compost, how it works, and why buying dry compost that is locally sourced might be a better alternative for your home’s landscaping needs!
First, let’s review the basics of composting.
Composting 101
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), composting can help suppress plant diseases and pests, as well as reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Other benefits include:
- Improves soil health for optimal plant growth
- Reduces green gas emissions
- Eliminates food and yard waste
- Keeps organic materials out of landfills
What Is Considered “Compostable”?
The EPA defines a compost pile as containing three organic materials: browns, greens, and water: “The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.”
For brown matter, you might include
- Leaves
- Hay
- Straw
Sawdust - Wood chips
- Cardboard boxes
For green matter, you might include
- Grass clippings
- Fruits
- vegetables
- Egg shells
- Seaweed
- Tea bags
There are a few items you’ll want to avoid adding to your compost pile, however, as they may contain certain germs and bacteria that you won’t want to add to your landscape. They can also create odors that attract pests. These items include:
- Pet waste
- Trimmings that contain chemical pesticides
- Diseased plants
- Grease or oil
- Dairy products
- Coal
- Meat or fish bones
Once you have created your compost pile, the EPA recommends that you mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury scraps and food waste under 10 inches of compost material.
Want an Easier Way to Add Compost to Your Lawn?
If the idea of storing organic matter in your backyard doesn’t sound appealing, or you’re worried about the upkeep required, you might be hesitant to begin the process.
There’s also the concern that when you make your own compost pile, you won’t “cook” it long enough, which means it may still contain bad bacteria that you’ll eventually distribute into your lawn.
Lucky for you, there is an easier, yet still organic solution!
At Organic Lawns by LUNSETH, we offer organic dry compost that is manure-based and locally sourced. Once applied to your lawn, our dry compost can help improve your soil’s organic matter and microorganism populations.
How It Works
Blending a combination of plant nutrients and organic substances, dry compost is applied to your landscape to help improve its soil quality and discourage weed growth. This, of course, is achieved without maintaining a compost pile in your outdoor living area.
Compost, in its dry form, also allows for easier transportation and accurate application, all while improving your soil structure. The benefits you can expect will range from greater root development to infiltration, thus resulting in better plant growth and stability.
To learn more about this option, and how you can find dry compost near you, contact us today!
Before we go, let’s address one more important question that we often get asked from customers.
Is Compost a Fertilizer?
This is a common misconception that is understandable to make. After all, compost does provide your soil with rich nutrients; however, unlike fertilizer, which contains specific ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to aid in nutrient deficiencies and improve faster plant growth, composting works directly with the soil itself to improve its quality, air flow, nutrient distribution, and moisture retention.
Don’t forget that compost also helps suppress plant disease and fungi, creating a healthy environment for plants to grow and thrive. Therefore, compost does not replace organic fertilizer. Instead, the two processes should work together to create optimal plant growth and vegetation.
To learn more about composting, or if you’d like to find an organic dry compost solution, reach out to our team today for details.
