Advantages of a Compost Pile

A hot compost pile can be a lot of hard work, so what are the advantages of a compost pile? There must be quite a few or they must be important because most gardeners have at least one on the go all the time. In fact, gardeners consider compost to be "black gold."

Composting will save you money. In the spring the garden centers open with fertilizers and soil amendments. Commercial farmers use chemical fertilizers so much that the soil is depleted and then complain about the high cost of fertilizer. Composting makes the fertilizer that plants need and in a form that is food for soil as well as plants. Your cost is kitchen and garden waste plus a bit of time.
Composting aids in recycling the waste from kitchen and garden as well as some paper waste. Apple peels, stale bread, leftovers gone bad, and any other plant material from the kitchen goes into the compost pile along with extra grass clippings, leaves, spent plants and any other yard and garden debris.
Compost will change your soil for the better. Chemical fertilizers work with high concentrations of salts that boost plant growth but do nothing for soil. The compost advantage is it works in lower concentrations but more of it and is good for the soil. Sandy soil will hold more water and keep nutrients next to plant roots where they are needed. Clay soil will be broken up and not let water pool which can drown plant roots. Instead the compost will allow the plants the nutrients and moisture they need.
Your soil will be healthier. Healthy soil means healthy plants. Hot composting pasteurizes weed seeds and destroys many plant pathogens.
Healthy plants from a compost rich diet repel insects naturally. Insects seek out weak or diseased plants because these are the easiest to eat. Healthy plants stay healthy because disease carrying insects feed on the weaker plants.
Worms love the compost and will move into the soil in large numbers. These soil critters aerate the soil, leave passage ways for water to trickle down, and produce their own rich plant food in the form of worm castings.
Composted soil requires less water. The compost serves as a water holder under the ground and compost as a mulch prevents evaporation.

Simply, the advantage of a compost pile is it will allow you to recycle waste into something that gives healthier soil, healthier plants, less watering and saves money in the bargain. A compost pile just makes sense.

Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting and gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre and compost piles for each. His composting site may be found at Compost Central. You can be a master composter in no time at all.

Much of his compost uses wood shavings from his wood turning hobby. The site for wood turning may be found at Around the Woods.