Compost

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Compost is the end product of the composting process. Produced by the disassembling of organic products by aerobic micro-organisms it is a brown organic substance containing humus and substantial nutrients. It is often mistakenly compared to soil however it contains none of the inorganic particles of soil and is eventually completely broken down to it's constituent nutrients and absorbed by plants or leached into the soil.

Compost is a highly valued resource for gardeners and allotment growers. As a free and natural substitute to commercial inorganic fertilizer it has the following benefits:

1. A gentle and balanced fertilizer with a full compliment of nutrients for all plants
2. Humus in the compost improves the texture of existing soils helping drainage and increasing aeration of roots.
3. Returns to the soil nutrients lost to growing plants
4. Provides a simple way to recycle garden waste
5. By composting kitchen waste it helps avoiding the release of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) caused by anaerobic digestion of foods at the dump.

See Also[edit]

• Composting
• Building a compost heap