Composting 101: Environmental Benefits

It's that time of year--when residents begin planting, fertilizing and anxiously awaiting the arrival of fruits, vegetables and herbs from their home garden. If you're looking for ways to take produce-growing to the next level, consider composting. Composting is a great way to neutralize your garden's pH while releasing a variety of healthy nutrients into the soil. If you're thinking about starting a compost heap to improve your garden's soil quality, consider the environmental benefits of your efforts.

1. When used on a large scale, composting has been found to "detoxify" contaminated soils by limiting toxic runoff into rivers and lakes. And because it's a natural way of treating the soil, gardeners can avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides--which also saves money.
   
2. Composting adds beneficial nutrients to the soil, which encourages the growth of worms and healthy bacteria. These micro-organisms aerate the soil and break down into bio-available nutrients that fend off garden pests and soil diseases.
   
3. Composting reduces the waste stream, since you're recycling yard and kitchen waste instead of tossing it. It's a responsible addition to any home recycling program.
   

To make the most of your composting efforts, don't limit compost use to your garden. Spread it around flower beds, trees--and even around trouble spots in your lawn. It's especially beneficial in areas with poor soil quality, since wet soils will drain better--and sandy soils will retain essential moisture.