How Will Compost Help My Garden?

Compost will help your garden

Whether you buy your compost or make your own, the benefits for your garden are incredible. Here, we look at how this great natural fertilizer can help your garden look spectacular.

Many gardeners like to make their own compost at the bottom of the garden in a large pile, slowly adding grass, weeds and kitchen scraps before turning it and checking that the compost is at the optimum temperature. While making compost is an essential part of life for some gardeners, for others it is easier to just buy a quality bag of compost from a reputable dealer. Either way is fine, because you are going to see the benefits of using compost whether you make your own or buy it in. For you, it will be a conscious decision on whether to spend money or make your compost yourself.

There are a few reasons why you should be using compost in your garden, and why compost can be your best friend in the garden.

Compost is mother nature’s fertilizer

Compost is the ultimate in natural fertilizers, taking all the goodness and nutrients from what you put into it and passing it onto your plants and your garden. The micro-organisms present in compost also add to this effect, giving your garden the right balance of nutrients it requires in order to thrive.

Compost aids in the retention and absorbtion of water

If you have a clay soil it can be difficult for your plants to obtain the water they require, however when you add compost it will give the soil the porosity it requires, allowing water in. Similarly, if your soil is particularly sandy, adding compost will help the soil retain the water that usually drains through.

Compost helps the soil become more porous

Over time, no matter what you do, your garden will become compacted due to children playing on it, foot traffic and rainfall. Adding compost which has never been exposed to such heavy duty activity to your garden has an amazing effect. The air and water contained within the compost adds to the soil, helping your garden plants draw the necessary water from deep within the ground.

So, compost is great for your garden, it helps keep it fresh and your plants thriving. There is however one final benefit to mention:

Compost is good for the environment

If you make your own compost or buy it ready bagged from a dealer or garden centre, there can be no doubt that it is one of the most natural and environmentally friendly ways to feed your garden. So, mother nature gives you compost and you give back.