The Pros of composting Versus the Cons

There are obviously downsides to composting or everyone would be utilizing this resource instead of buying commercial fertilizers and other lawn care additives. The downside is the time it takes to upkeep, the space to house a composting bin and the amount of time before your first mature compost will be ready.

The benefits of composting far outweigh the downside. For the time you invest, the space you give up in your yard and some patience you and your yard will get:

• A lesser need for commercial fertilizer or eliminate it altogether (saves money)
• Increased water retention in your soil. If there is a dry spell your garden and lawn that has been treated with compost will fair better than those that have used commercial products.
• Improved plant growth. You will also find an increased amount of fruit or vegetables that your plants produce when using mature compost.
• Protection for your plants from diseases or pests that can destroy your vegetation.

The environment also benefits from the time you invest into composting. In addition to eliminating the amount of waste that goes to the city dump. In some cases organic material makes up to 45% of the garbage that ends up in a dump – this can be greatly reduced by composting.

• If there is an area of contaminated soil, you can add compost to assist in the “cleaning” process
• Compost can help prevent and stop erosion
• Eliminates the need for adding chemical pesticides to your garden or lawn
• Decreases the amount of methane gas that is produced at the dump (by reducing the amount of organic matter that is thrown away)

Like any new project or habit, composting will take some time to get used to. Once you have completed the initial start-up process the time and energy you need to maintain the pile is not a lot.