MAYBE YOU ALREADY COMPOST, BUT AREN’T REALLY SURE WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO SO OTHER THAN A GENERAL “HELPFUL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT” REASON. OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE THE FEELING OF NOT HAVING SO MUCH TRASH IN THE HOUSE AND IT MAKES YOU FEEL USEFUL. BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY TONS OF GREAT REASONS WHY COMPOSTING IS HELPFUL TO YOU, YOUR GARDEN, AND THE PLANET!
Why is composting good for you?
A lot of people (especially those of us in the city) are missing a connection with nature. Especially when times are stressful, our need to connect with nature is very important. My own experience is living in a small apartment with no outside access during this lockdown. Composting gives me a feeling of being helpful and useful even while I’m stuck at home. It helps me remember how the food I eat every day is connected to nature, how I’m helping the planet by choosing to compost rather than throw it in the trash. Check out The Resilient Activist if you want to know more about the benefits of connecting with nature right now.
Why is composting good for my garden or balcony plants?
It improves the soil structures as a whole. It won’t solve a specific problem, but it will give you a much better base to start your garden out. Here is a great article to learn exactly why compost is important for the soil.
Plus it will help reduce pesticide and chemical use, as well as reduce the prevalence of soil-borne and other plant diseases! As a bonus, the reduced use of chemicals is great for the planet as well. Win, win!
Especially in balcony plants, but also for gardens, drainage is so very important to the health of your plant. Adding compost to your soil helps bring a healthy amount of drainage which will directly help the roots of your plants, which will help your whole plant look and feel healthier!
Why is composting good for the planet?
Here is a great infographic that shows you all the ways composting is great for the environment.
“The following comes from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (www.ilsr.org), a national nonprofit organization working to strengthen local economies, and redirect waste into local recycling, composting, and reuse industries. It is reprinted here with permission.”
Plus compost manufacturing creates more jobs than landfills or trash incinerators. So there’s a bonus to helping our job economy!
Hopefully you’ve learned a lot about compost during this week so far, be sure to check back in tomorrow for some fun activities to do!
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