Some people might think that composting is too much trouble, or that it is somehow overrated; after all, how much of a difference could a pile of old leaves and old vegetables make? Actually, it turns out that it can make a huge difference in your yard. Composting is not a difficult activity, and its effects on your yard can be dramatic and long lasting. It also allows you to utilize your kitchen waste in a productive way, by saving on the amount of trash that goes to the curb. Instead of taking up valuable space in a landfill, the extra fruit and vegetable trimmings go towards improving your yard.
You might be surprised to learn that a compost pile, as long as it is properly maintained, doesn't smell like rotting plants. This is because the pile has access to oxygen, and the microorganisms that are decomposing the compost don't produce the same bad smells that the bacteria in your fridge might when they don't have continual access to fresh air. Fortunately for you and your yard, this means that composting is not an unpleasant process to live with. Finished compost, a mostly organic substance called humus, is clean, crumbly, and smells like fresh earth.
Humus is the remains of everything that used to be in the compost pile. All of the organic material has been broken down by microbes, and what is left is a nutrient rich material that plants will love. One of the final results of the decomposition of plant material is nitrate, the main ingredient in fertilizer that plants thrive on. The nitrate resides in the humus along with the broken down pieces of the complex organic compounds of the original plant material. These smaller, simpler compounds are more easily absorbed by the plant's roots, and can be used as building blocks for other materials the plant needs. Due to its chemical structure, the humus also has the ability to store large amounts of nutrients and 80-90% its weight in water. The structure of the humus that holds the nutrients in place keeps them from washing away with rain or watering. Thus, it both stores and slowly dispenses the nutrients as the plants need them. Humus not only benefits the plants but the soil as well; it improves the quality of the soil for future plantings and makes it more drought-resistant.
The ability of the humus to store molecules and nutrients comes in handy for other reasons as well. When incorporated into the soil, the humus can absorb materials that could potentially harm the plants. Toxic substances such as poisonous heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc) will be bound to the complex structure of the humus and be kept away from the soil and the plants. The humus will also absorb excess nutrients from the soil and dispense them slowly so the plants are not overwhelmed by too many nutrients. Just like people can get sick if they repeatedly take large doses of vitamins, plants can get sick if they receive too many nutrients. Humus' complex structure also enables it to protect the plants from soil that is too acidic or alkaline by moderating the pH of the soil, making it more tolerable to plant life.
As you can see, composting produces a material with a number of excellent benefits for your soil, as well as the plants that grow in it. In addition to its value as a gardening tool, it is also fairly easy to make: fallen leaves, grass clippings, vegetable trimmings, even used coffee grounds can go into a compost pile. Stay away from meat, dairy products or eggs, as these will produce unpleasant odors while decomposing and attract various flies and pests in the process. In a few weeks, with regular turning, you will find that some fresh compost will do wonders for the plants in your garden.
Research taken from the following sources:
