Why Should I Compost?
7 Reasons To Do So
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Howdy, welcome to TexasEats! Composting is one of the oldest and most universal farming practices of all time. Are you running a commercial farm or a small backyard garden? Maybe you have heard about composting, it can be a tedious job no surprise it can be discouraging to some, and may start asking Why should I compost? is it worth it?
While there’s a whole lot to be said about better food and sustainable farming practices. But composting is also a movement that makes a real impact on the environment, the economy, and even the society we live in. So in this article, We’re listing the seven reasons to do so.
Best Reasons To Create Your Own Compost
1. It Conserves Water
Thanks to its capacity for water retention, compost can drastically reduce the amount of irrigation you provide to your garden. Its porous consistency also allows the earth underneath to retain more water, preventing runoff.
Furthermore, instead of simply storing moisture, compost makes it easy for plants to absorb it. That leads to more root penetration, which translates into more vigorous growth. So it’s no wonder that even in extremely dry climates like Nevada or West Texas, composting reduces the need for irrigation by at least 25%.
2. It Invigorates Your Garden
Plants love organic compost, and for good reason! First off, it completely transforms soil composition. If you live in a dry climate, compost will increase water retention. Meanwhile, when added to wet, clay-like soil, it improves drainage and adds aeration. Secondly, homemade compost contains all three major plant nutrients, as well as various micronutrients like Calcium, Sulfur and Magnesium. And to top that off, it also promotes the growth of beneficial microbes that roots thrive on.
3. It Increases Harvest Quality & Quantity
It’s only natural that keeping your plants healthy and happy is the best way to maximize their yield. Studies show that adding compost to your soil increases average plant size by 37%, and leaf count by 30%, compared to fertilized soil.
No amount of fancy fertilizers can match the nutritional benefits of organic compost. Fertilizer can provide nutrients directly to your plants, but composting actually enriches your soil, creating a more beneficial environment for plant growth. It improves soil texture, encourages healthy microbial growth, and even regulates the pH. In other words, fertilizer can feed your plants, but only compost can feed the earth.
Four More Reasons Why You Should Compost
4. It Lowers Farming Costs
If the initial overhead price of setting up a composting site seems too high, you probably haven’t factored in all the savings it will provide. First and foremost, compost is highly nutritious so you won’t need nearly as much fertilizer. Secondly, it increases pest-resistance and lowers mortality rates. The result is faster growth and heftier yields. In addition to that, lower mortality rates guarantee less money spent on new plants and less labor spent on re-planting them.
5. It Prevents Soil Erosion
Slowly but surely, erosion separates soil particles and destroys the earth’s microbiome. The recent surge of over-farming, compounded by climate change, has made soil erosion a leading concern for American farmers. The good news is, composting is an effective way to prevent the problem. A proper compost mix binds soil together while increasing infiltration. Not only does this prevent surface runoff, it also slows down the flow of water, giving your soil more time to absorb it.
Finally, the high humus content of homemade compost makes it act as a sponge, preventing heavy runoff and flooding. As a matter of fact, engineers recommend using compost as a way to prevent stormwater damage in areas that are prone to flooding.
6. It Reduces Your Carbon Footprint
The EPA estimated that 29% of all household waste is made up of food and yard scraps. But most people think there’s no point in recycling scraps and other organic waste. Afterall, even if it goes to a landfill, food and yard trimmings will quickly decompose, right? Not exactly. You see, when organic material is buried in a landfill, there’s not enough oxygen for natural decomposition. Instead, it rots slowly, producing methane and CO2 that will eventually be released into the atmosphere.
Aside from reducing your carbon footprint directly, composting can also help decrease pollution on a larger scale. It can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers that harm our waterways. And, in the long term, compost can also aerate the topsoil, promoting more of the plant life that recycles our air.
7. It Can Cut Taxes & Unemployment
As President Franklin D. Roosevelt put it, “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself.” But how could your composting site impact anything outside of your garden? Sure, your efforts alone may not be enough to make a real difference. But as more farmers and homeowners join the Composting Movement, their combined efforts are already starting to transform local economies.
Did you know that commercial composting is more profitable than producing fertilizer? In Ohio alone, 1,400 new jobs were created by investing into organic composting facilities. But the real kicker is that creating these jobs didn’t add any new costs for the state budget. Maryland actually saved money by creating a viable product from waste, and reducing costly fertilizer production.
We already mentioned that food and yard scraps make up almost 30% of all trash. What we didn’t tell you is that the costs of waste management totaled $200 billion last year alone. That means Americans can save a whopping 60 billion of their tax dollars by joining the Composting Movement. To understand how significant that number is, consider that all the federal funding for medical research totals about $35 billion. Cutting $60 billion in costs would provide a $500 tax cut to every American household.
That wraps up the seven best reasons to create your own compost. Which item on our list surprised you the most? Are you still on the fence when it comes to composting? Don’t hesitate to ask or share your thoughts in the comments. And make sure to click the subscribe button to stay tuned for all our future videos, right here on TexasEats!
Sources:
https://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/what-does-60-billion-buy/
https://medium.com/the-green-blog/franklin-d-roosevelts-quote-7beffd56a745
https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/ErosionBenefits
https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/StormwaterBenefits
https://www.webgardner.com/composting/does-compost-help-plants-grow-faster-now-answered/
