Compost and the garden

Compost and the garden

One of the best and most environmentally friendly ways to nourish your garden is with compost, which consists of a variety of organic waste from fruits and vegetables and house plants to coffee grinds and tea bags to paper products, eggshells and yard trimmings.

Compost, experts say, provides plants with the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium they need to grow; balances the soil’s pH (the measure of its acidity and alkalinity); adds moisture; discourages pests, diseases and certain weeds; reduces the waste stream and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. Given that soil content is key to a blooming garden and that billions are spent on millions of tons of municipal waste – two-thirds of which winds up in landfills and incinerators – composting would seem heaven-sent.

So why don’t more people do it? It takes time and some expertise. Basically, there are two types of home composting – cold, which lets nature take its course slowly but risks weeds and parasites and can be wet and smelly; and hot, which is faster but requires management to balance air and water, carbon and nitrogen. You’ll also need a bin and to figure out the best place to keep it. It’s not the most aesthetic-looking thing, and some places don’t allow it.

As the environmental organization Natural Resources Defense Council notes in its thorough article, “Composting 101,” https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101#community you can always outsource this to a community or municipal composter. But it’s still not for the faint of heart, as the article notes:

“Composting is not an exact science. It takes time and experience to figure out the best way for you to compost in your environment. Because it is a biological process, results may vary each time you try it, even if you don’t change your method at all.”

What is certain is that composting is one of the best ways to nourish the earth while helping the Earth.

We at the Morano Group are more than happy to discuss ways in which you can maintain a healthy, attractive garden while helping the environment.

Tags: compost, cold compost, hot compost, Natural Resources Defense Council, Morano Group, waste management, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon, pH balance, nutrients, garden