Compost 101 with the Compost Gourmet
Hi TreePeople,
It’s Soil Week and we’ve learned so much about how soil helps our plants, trees, and animals to thrive. But did you know that you can bring the magic of healthy soil to your garden?
Today, we asked our friend the Compost Gourmet about why compost is so crucial to soil health and happy plants!
What is compost, what is it made of, and why is it important for plants?
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed in a process called composting. Composting recycles organic materials that are otherwise just sent to the landfill! Biodegradable materials such as grass clippings or food waste can be decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms. These decomposers help to break down organic matter and to make nutrients available to plants.
Organic materials are collected and stored before beginning the composting process. This includes food waste (not containing animal products) like coffee grounds, banana peels, tea bags, or avocado skins!
Yard waste such as fallen leaves, branches, or grass clippings and even cardboard, sawdust, or newspapers can all go into your compost pile! It is important to make sure that no animal products such as meat, fat, or bone make their way into your compost with the exception of eggshells. In fact, eggshells are awesome at providing calcium to your plants in order to help with building the cell wall, which gives structure to the plant!
Is there a difference between compost and fertilizer?
YES! There is most definitely a difference! Compost is fertilizer, but fertilizer is not compost! Kind of like how all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares! To understand the difference we have to understand the definition of each term:
Fertilizer: a chemical or natural substance added to soil or land to increase its fertility.
Compost: a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land.
After collecting all of your kitchen scraps, how do you turn it into compost?
You can store all of your scraps in your refrigerator or in a kitchen compost pail before taking it to your compost bin (Food scraps will take up less space and break down more quickly if you chop them up first!). Compost bins provide a home for microorganisms and speed up the decomposition process resulting in nutrient-rich soil. Moisture, oxygen, warm temperatures, and nutrients are all vital for microorganisms to thrive.
What resources are out there for me to get a compost bin? Could I make one at home?
The Los Angeles Department of Public Works offers workshops where you can buy compost bins at a discount:
There are tons of instructions on the internet on DIY compost bins, or you can check out our compost in a jar video coming soon to learn how to make one out of a glass jar! Check out this article for more information:
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