Compost is produced through the recycling of organic materials. Food scraps, leaves and yard trimmings, paper, wood, manures and the remains of agricultural crops can be transformed into compost through composting.

Compost is a valuable soil amendment. It has a high organic matter content and helps return to the soil many properties which are lost over time and with use.

While compost is not a fertilizer, it can contain nutrients which improve plant growth. When used in combination with fertilizers, compost works with the fertilizer to provide plants with nutrients over a longer period than would be possible if only fertilizer was applied.


What's in it for me?
Among compost's many benefits are:


Improved plant and root growth ...
It has been shown that when compost is part of the growing medium, plants grow stronger and have higher yields. Compost adds not only organic material to the soil but it adds trace elements such as iron, manganese, copper, zinc and boron which are required for plant growth.


Reduced rate of nutrient release ...
Compost binds the nutrients in the soil ensuring that they are available over a longer period of time for the plants to utilize them. Binding fertilizers with the soil also helps prevent fertilizers from running off to surface water during rain.


Improved soil porosity ...
Microbial activity is essential for fertile soil. Microorganisms break down organic materials making the nutrients in these materials available to plants. Compacted soil does not allow the water and air required by soil microorganisms to penetrate below the soil surface. Because compost consists of many different sized particles, it has a porous structure which helps to increase soil porosity.


Improved water-holding capacity ...
The organic matter in compost can soak up water thereby increasing the soil's water-holding capacity. This helps the soil absorb water during rain or watering ... and hold it for the use of the plants between rain or watering.


Improved resistance to wind and water erosion ...
Adding compost helps prevent wind and water erosion by increasing the availability of water and nutrients to plants resulting in rapid, strong plant growth in areas prone to erosion.


Plant disease suppression ...
Research has shown that compost can inhibit the incidence of plant diseases.

Making the Grade!
Because of its many benefits, compost is being used in many different ways. These include: agriculture, home gardening and landscaping, grounds maintenance (eg. athletic fields, golf courses), nurseries and reforestation, land reclamation as well as landfill cover.

The quality of the compost determines its use. Higher quality compost can be made when compostable materials are separated from noncompostable materials prior to composting. This is best done at the source and is referred to as source separation. Compost standards have been developed and are categorized based on the end use of the compost material. Compost referred to as Category A or AA can be used in any application, such as gardens, agricultural lands, horticultural operations and the nursery industry. Lower quality compost (Category B) should be restricted to use for applications such as the reclamation of strip mining sites where the soil quality is lower.


How can I use compost?
Uses for compost around the home include flower beds, vegetable gardens, adding with soil on newly seeded lawns, as a mulch around plants and on established lawns. For all of these uses, it is important to know how much compost to use.


TOPDRESSING
For best results, aerate the entire area before topdressing using a commercially available aerator. For topdressing, spread 1/3 to 1 1/4 cm (1/8" to 1/2") of mature compost evenly over the area using a rake. Wate