How Compost Benefits Your Plants

Good compost benefits your plants in numerous ways. Finished compost contains nitrogen, a vital nutrient for both plants and animals. Proteins, enzymes, DNA, and many other types of cellular or living structures contain nitrogen. During the process of decomposition, bacteria and fungi break down nitrogen-based compounds to make ammonium.

• Microbes present in the soil take the ammonium and turn it into nitrite.
• This then goes through yet another change to be turned to nitrate.
• In the final phase of composting, nitrates turn to usable nitrogen, signaling that the compost is ready for use.

Poorly managed or under-aged compost does not make it through these four phases. Ammonium is produced in excess instead… This is due to not enough microbes being available to continue the process of nitrification. The accumulation of unconverted ammonium can mean imbalanced, non-useful compost that often features a foul odour.

Compost benefits plants when it is high in microbial and fungal content by putting ‘life’ back into your soils. Composting managed properly can achieve this in massive numbers with massive benefits!

Compost rebuilds soils and restores carbon and organic matter. Compost benefits plants by also improving erosion control, reducing disease and insect pressure and enhancing water infiltration as well as reducing compaction and improving nutrient retention. This promotes healthier plants reducing the need for chemicals and dramatically cut your costs paying for fertilizer whilst increasing your income.

Browse our range of Composters here.