Healthy gardens rely on compost to thrive. It’s a vital element of every gorgeous garden, as it helps feed soil and deliver key nutrients to plant life. If you want a garden that’s awash with vibrant colours and hosts a diversity of plants or vegetables, then you need to get your hands on some quality compost.
But what is compost, and how should you use it? This short guide will explain all you need to know so you can become a gardening pro!
What is Compost?
Compost is a mainstay in every garden, and it refers to organic material that decomposes over time. Sounds pretty yummy, right? While you’d never ever want to eat compost, there’s no denying its uses in gardening. You see it everywhere, from flowerbeds to greenhouses and anywhere else you can think of. Because this substance is made of naturally decomposing organic materials, you end up with something that’s absolutely packed full of nutrients.
Think of it like an energy bar that contains all of your five-a-day but for plant life! You spread compost around your garden to elicit the following benefits:
- Enhanced soil health & structure
- Improved nutrient retention
- Encourages plant growth
Compost is an extremely broad term that refers to any organic matter that acts as a natural fertiliser. As a result, you’ll see many types of compost used for different things. Here are three of the best types to try if you’re eager to spruce up your garden:
Homemade Garden/Kitchen Waste Compost
The first type of compost is the most environmentally friendly. You know those food waste bags the council collects every week? Well, you can use your food waste to create homemade compost for your garden.
It’s not that hard, and you can combine the food waste with garden waste to create an even more nutrient-rich compost. The process is as simple as getting a little compost bin and putting your waste in there. Make sure there’s a good mixture of green and brown substances, then mix it all together. Leave it in the compost bin so all the organic materials decompose. Turn it every couple of days to speed up decomposition, and then harvest it when it’s ready to use.
You’ll know it’s ready when it looks very brown – almost like soil. Pick it up with gloved hands or a spade and then spread it throughout your garden. Homemade garden/kitchen waste compost is the ultimate all-rounder; it’s useful for vegetable gardens, flower beds, shrubs and pretty much everything else.
Granular Soil Compost
Granular soil compost is a special type of compost that’s mainly used to feed your lawn. It’s not something you can make at home, as it requires the fine blending of organic materials to create a granular texture. Products like Carbonizpn-G are highly popular forms of granular soil compost because they contain loads of crucial materials to improve the overall soil health.
Funnily enough, you shouldn’t use granular soil compost as a standard fertiliser. Instead, you should use it with fertiliser to yield the best results. This type of compost helps soil retain nutrients and moisture rather than giving it to them.
To reiterate, you’ll only need this compost if you want to cultivate a healthy lawn. It’s a fantastic secret ingredient to ensure every blade of grass grows nice and strong. If you want to play golf at home or have a green carpet worthy of any professional sport, this is the compost for you.
Manure Compost
Be honest, this is probably what pops into your head whenever you hear someone talk about compost. Manure compost is exactly what you think: decomposed animal manure. It normally comes from typical farmyard animals, like cows, chickens and horses – it’s not advised to collect your pet’s droppings and turn them into compost!
As disgusting as it sounds, manure compost has been used for centuries because it’s smashed full of nutrients. You get loads of nutrients from whatever the animal was eating, plus it tends to be very high in nitrogen – which is one of the biggest components in photosynthesis. Quick science lesson time: nitrogen is part of chlorophyll, which is what takes in sunlight and converts it to energy during photosynthesis. Therefore, more nitrogen means better photosynthesis, so plants create more energy and grow a lot stronger.
You won’t need manure compost unless you’re growing a vegetable garden or have fruit trees. Its nutrient makeup is perfect for encouraging more food to grow, though nobody will look down on you for choosing a different compost option!
Hopefully, you’ve found this guide useful as you embark on your gardening journey. You need compost to help your garden thrive; pick whichever one makes the most sense for your green space.
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