Are you into gardening or a farmer by profession? If yes, then you must have come across the term compost. This technique is the best way to fulfil your plants with nutrients. Just like our bodies, plants do require such nutrients. All the goodness of nature can be found in one place for plants which is compost.
No other source can beat this organic matter which provides your plants with nutrients little by little. If you’re confused about which compost is best to go for, then this article is for you. We will be going to talk about distinctive kinds of compost along with their benefits.
Green Manure
You’ll be amazed by knowing the fact that this manure is used by farmers for centuries. The thing which makes green manure interesting is its process. If you want to have a garden full of vegetables, then don’t forget to use green manure.
To make green manure clear, let’s take an instance. Have you ever seen plants used for green manure? If not, then just suppose flowering plants that are grown until they start flowering. After that, they are tilled back into the ground for decomposing. Feeling sad for those plants, but anyways they are the only ones going to help the next crops to grow better,
Uses:
- If you want to suppress weeds in your beautiful garden or farm, then go for green manure. It can easily disrupt the cycle of weed plants and their growth patterns. Even some species can be a blessing for you because they are strong enough to release chemicals from their roots.
- Green manure is great in binding soil particles together, so there are no worries about soil aggregation. It comes with clusters of large particles that easily form pores, and fortunately, you’ll have proper nutrient distribution.
Homemade Compost
Do you want to transform your waste stream into a useful thing? Why don’t you try homemade compost, which is capable of turning your food scraps into nutrient-full compost? You can give it a try if you want to live in a resilient community. Overall, this is a powerful action anyone can take for reducing their trash and generating healthy soil.
Don’t have much outside space for homemade compost? No worries, you can give it a try to participate in your community-based compost program. Such a program aids in collecting food scraps which gives the soil a boost in terms of nutrients.
Uses:
- Such a kind of compost can help you to build healthier soil and prevent soil erosion. If you’ll use this soil in your yard or garden, then you can see improvement in your plant growth.
- You’re contributing to the environment by reducing the materials that might be left with no role except being disposed of in landfills. You’re preventing powerful greenhouse gas generation, which can easily harm the globe.
Farmyard Manure
As the name suggests, you’ll use farmyard animal poop for generating manure. It is the most effective choice to go for if you want to fulfill the nutrient level of your soil. Before the sowing season starts, you can also spread the partially decomposed manure.
While talking about preparation, you can generate farmyard manure with less effort. All you need to do is to mix it with a layer protected from excessive sunlight and water. But keep in mind that if you want to spread the manure, then it is better not to delay it for too long. Because this manure might be washed out, and you lose the chance to plant.
Uses:
- This is the most valuable soil improver you’ll ever come across. Your soil’s natural properties can be enhanced and restored easily by farmyard manure.
- It cost nothing to produce this because your animal, like a cow, can make poop every day. Overall, you’re in the safe zone with this fertilizer because there is no chance that you’ll over-fertilize with it.
Vermicompost
If you’re a farmer, then earthworms might be your friend. I know it sounds weird, but no one beat the benefits you’ll get from an earthworm. Such amazing creatures are strong enough to turn your boring garden into a flowering wonderland. Earthworms’ routine activity is nothing but to make your soil fertile and porous.
Now, you might be thinking what if the compost is full of earthworms? Don’t stress too much there will be no earthworm in your final product. But there can be chances you’ll come across earthworm eggs. There is no need for any external input in agricultural land if you’re going for vermicompost.
Uses:
- You can feel the moisture in vermicompost due to the presence of soluble nutrients. It is the best organic fertilizer full of nutrients that can work as a soil conditioner.
- Even you can find micronutrients present in vermicompost, such as copper, manganese, etc.
Mushroom Compost
As the name suggests, this is chiefly used for growing mushrooms. Such kinds of compost are sterile and nutrient-rich substrates. When you’re done with harvesting, you can use that leftover compost in your garden. It is up to you whatever organic materials you’ll like to use while making mushroom compost. For instance, you can use gypsum peat, grape clippings, rye straw, etc.
Uses:
- Agricultural waste can be reduced in an environment-friendly manner.
- There will be a boost in water retention, and thus, more nutrients can be added.
Wool Compost
Apart from the clothing and homeware industry, you can use wool in compost. You’ll be amazed by knowing that wool compost is the best alternative to peat you’ll ever come across. Even it would be a perfect way if you’re thinking to recycle wool.
There is not much difficulty for you while making wool compost. However, there is a need to make sure that there is no use of any synthetic materials. So, it is better to use only pure sheep wool for your compost.
Uses:
- Such compost can easily retain water and can feed the plants by releasing nutrients.
- Wool compost comes with a high amount of nitrogen which is the best choice for green fingers.
Biochar compost
When you’ll use compost and biochar together, then there are chances that you’ll get a better end product. So, don’t forget to add biochar at an early stage in your compost to gain maximum benefit. There is no chance that biochar will diminish during composting, but it’ll become improve. Even the soil of your land will gain benefit from such a composting method.
Uses:
- Due to being a light fluffy material, it can aid aeration and buffering moisture in your pile.
- You can notice that there will not be much nitrogen loss in the environment.
Wood chippings compost
It takes no effort if you want to make wood chips at home. It would be the best way for you to use wooden materials like fallen branches around the ground. You can use this natural resource in a great way by adding it to your compost.
However, if you’re using wood chips, then there is a need to change your approach to compost-making. Only after that, you’ll get much more from wood chips, and thus, you can easily break down them. If you’re not using wooden chips, then in your finished product you’re missing a great carbon source.
Uses:
- Beneficial fungi will get more boost in comparison to green manure compost.
- This excellent carbon source for your compost is much cheaper compared to others.
Loam-based compost
As the name suggests loam, it is a kind of soil that is a mixture of components like clay, silt, and sand. Generally, it combines distinctive soil qualities you can expect better plant growth. If you’re a gardener, then loam-based compost is perfect for you. The thing to note here is that you can easily make such loam-based compost with less effort.
Uses:
- This compost is useful, especially when you’re placing any plant for the long term.
- By this, you can avoid any kind of nutrient and water content fluctuations in the growing medium.
Vegan Compost
You can easily attain a DIY vegan compost pile with a combination of vegetable scraps, wilted crops, leaves, weeds, etc. Usually, it prioritizes plant waste recycling without making any environmental disruption. However, manure and peat are avoided, when vegan composts are made commercially.
Uses:
- The best part of vegan compost is that it’s odourless with full of nutrients.
- You can reduce agricultural waste with vegan compost.
Conclusion
Above mentioned types of composting are some of the best which can make any kind of waste useful. Have you ever wondered about the production sources of compostable materials? They are our houses, offices, schools, even hotels, and many more. At last, it is the perfect way to produce inexpensive fertilizers for your farms, gardens, and other places.
