What is Composting?

What is composting and why is it essential? Basically, composting is how nature gets rid of her natural garbage. It is part of the natural cycle of life that takes the old and turns it into a viable source of nourishment for the new. Natural trash, such as waste product, fallen leaves, the clippings from grass, and the remains of natural food products like pits and peels, can be turned into fertilizer through the process of composting.

Everywhere you look there is a natural micro-organic world that you just can't see. Bacteria, microorganisms, fungi, and oxygen come together to continuously break down matter that is left behind. This, of course, does not apply to things such as plastic and other mad made chemically based material. The natural process happens whether you're trying to influence it or not and the micro world that you can not see is perpetually busy at work turning what remained into remains.

There are factors that will speed up or slow down the process. For instance, warmer weather increases the rate of the micro world. Everything in it moves a little faster and is more productive when breaking down waste material. Moisture also will help, although too much moisture will actually slow down the process. When it is humid outside the natural waste material breaks down faster. When it rains heavily it breaks down slower as the organisms slow down while some of them get washed away to land somewhere new.

Once the material has been sufficiently broken down the remains are then consumed by tiny (although sometimes not so tiny) invertebrates. They use it for nutrition and then what their bodies don't use becomes waste product. That waste product is the compost. It is nutrient rich and highly absorbable so it can be used for gardens and plants to help improve the conditions in which they are growing. The plants will then grow and bear fruit, vegetables, or flowers. Eventually, these will become old, drop off, and the cycle repeats.

Composting is the intentional act of creating fertilizer in this manner. With the right conditions it is possible to compost anywhere in the world, and even indoors. It is a natural and safe way to rid our homes of the natural trash we tend to collect while returning it to its origins. The cycle of life happens over and over again. When you can help it repeat itself on various occasions you will find that the benefits are long range and the immediate return is obvious in the plant health.