Composting 101

For those who love to garden, compost is often considered “black gold” for the enriching qualities it contains for growing beautiful plants and tasty fruits & vegetables. It can turn sandy soil into fertile ground and help transform anyone into a green thumb. Composting isn’t just for the growers and lovers of gardens, plants, and trees – it’s a trending way to reduce waste and return natural resources back to the earth at the same time.

What is Compost?

The Natural Resources Defense Center tells us that composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter, such as leaves and food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants. Without human interference, most all processes on earth eventually undergo a process of growth, decay, and a return of resources. For living organisms that grow, decomposition is a necessary and critical component of the system. When we intentionally collect matter to use in fertile garden soil, is called compost – a substance rich in nutrients that can be used for gardening, horticulture, and agriculture.

How to Get Started

Want to give your garden a boost, or ready to do your part to find solutions for climate change? NPR has a full set of instructions on how to get started with composting at home. Learn what to save and what to throw away, where to put it if you live in the city or in rural areas, and how to enjoy the process along the way. A bit of work today will help make for a better world tomorrow.

To Collect or to Give Away?

Depending on your goals, where you live, and a number of other factors, you may choose to store and use your compost, give it away to a friend or a farm, or turn to a compost collection service. If you’d like to build a storage area yourself, check out the WD-40_® Brand Blog on how to make DIY compost bin. For those just getting into composting, it can sometimes be overwhelming to care for a large amount of compost without experimenting with what works best for your particular situation. Try out a little bit at a time, and find some local resources for what to do with the rest. Farmer’s Markets are a great place to discover a good home for your organic waste, and Compostnow.org has an interactive map you can use to locate a collection service near you.

 

Tip: Take care of your garden tools with WD-40_® Smart Straw_®. By spraying a protective coating on the metal parts of your tools, you can avoid rust and corrosion and extend the life of your equipment.