As you may have noticed by now, I write about compost a lot. In fact, I believe it is one of the easiest things we can do every day to benefit the environment. According to US EPA 30% of the waste produced by the average household is compostable. That means almost 1/3 of the trash thrown away could go into a compost pile instead.
You may be wondering about why you would choose to compost. So, we are going to discuss some of the ways you can put your compost pile to work for you, and how it does more than impact the environment.
When compostable food, yard, etc. waste are placed into the trash rather than being composted, they produce greenhouse gasses which contribute to climate change. The time it takes these items to decompose when they are in land fills also significantly increases.
Compost can be used to fertilize plants. If you have a garden, this can save you money on expensive fertilizers. If you don't have a garden, you can use the compost to fertilize your yard to support the health of the soil and decrease the risk of plant diseases and pests. It is also beneficial if you have house plants.
There are a couple of different options for using your compost when it has broken down. You can create compost tea or just use your compost as is.
To create compost tea, soak compost in a bucket of water for 24-36 hours. You do not want to let it sit too long, because stagnant water can attract bacteria, parasites, and mold. All of these are bad for your plants and will result in the opposite of the desired effect. The compost can be placed inside of an old sock or other cloth material so that the nutrients will disperse throughout the water, or you can strain the water after it has finished soaking. The water can then be applied directly to the plants to provide necessary nutrients to fertilize your plants.
If you prefer to use your compost as solid material, this is also an option. You can take some of your finished compost from the pile and put it at the base of your plant. If you use this method, make sure the compost is at least an inch away from the roots. The compost being too close to the roots can result in root rot.
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of why composting is so important, and how much you can benefit from doing so. It really is one of the easiest things you can do every day to help the environment, and yourself.
https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
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