{"id":1961,"date":"2012-01-05T10:44:52","date_gmt":"2012-01-05T16:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/backyardcity.wordpress.com\/?p=1961"},"modified":"2012-01-05T10:44:52","modified_gmt":"2012-01-05T16:44:52","slug":"do-you-really-know-why-you-use-compost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/do-you-really-know-why-you-use-compost\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Really Know Why You Use Compost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Compost<\/p>\n

You’ve probably\u00a0 heard that making your own garden compost in a home compost bin<\/a>\u00a0saves you money because that’s one less thing you need to go out and buy at the local garden center.\u00a0 But, did you ever wonder exactly why you use compost in the first place?\u00a0 Initially, that may sound like\u00a0a dumb question, but it’s really not.\u00a0 Gardeners use compost because it’s good for growing plants, but there’s more to it than just that.\u00a0 Here are just a couple of reasons why you’re using compost in your garden:<\/p>\n

Compost is good for soil.\u00a0<\/strong> As any gardener will tell you, not all soil is good soil.\u00a0 Meaning, not all soil is ideal for growing and maintaining a hardy garden.\u00a0 Because compost is rich in nutrients and helpful bacteria and fungi, it can improve the quality of existing soil and create a more inviting home for growing plants.<\/p>\n

Compost prevents pests and diseases.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Compost “has also been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and promote higher yields of agricultural crops,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.<\/p>\n

Maybe it’s enough to know that compost is good for growing plants, but understanding\u00a0why can help gardeners appreciate compost all the more.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 \"Earthmaker<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You’ve probably\u00a0 heard that making your own garden compost in a home compost bin\u00a0saves you money because that’s one less thing you need to go out and buy at the local garden center.\u00a0 But, did you ever wonder exactly why you use compost in the first place?\u00a0 Initially, that may sound like\u00a0a dumb question, but it’s really not.\u00a0 Gardeners use compost because it’s good for … Continue reading Do You Really Know Why You Use Compost?<\/span> »<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[100,102,107],"class_list":["post-1961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-garden-tools-tips","tag-compost","tag-compost-bins","tag-composting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Nnyf-vD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2749,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/compost-bins-composting-basics\/","url_meta":{"origin":1961,"position":0},"title":"Compost Bins: Composting Basics","author":"BYC Temp Admin","date":"January 8, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"A Brief Look At How and What To Compost Using Compost Bins Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environmentally Friendly Ideas"","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/WIBO-Large.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2001,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-guidelines-not-everything-can-go-in-the-compost-bin\/","url_meta":{"origin":1961,"position":1},"title":"Composting Guidelines: Not Everything Can Go in the Compost Bin","author":"Sara May","date":"March 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using a purchased compost bin. Building a compost structure on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environmentally Friendly Ideas"","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compost Bin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-lifestyle-open.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1870,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/dont-let-autumn-leaves-go-to-waste\/","url_meta":{"origin":1961,"position":2},"title":"Don’t Let Autumn Leaves Go to Waste","author":"Sara May","date":"October 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Did you also know that yard waste, such as fallen autumn leaves,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environmentally Friendly Ideas"","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compost Bin","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-compost-small.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":361,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/composting-is-not-a-dirty-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":1961,"position":3},"title":"Composting Is Not a Dirty\u00a0Word","author":"Trey Collier","date":"April 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The word compost sometimes scares people.\u00a0 We often think of smelly trash, worms, and spoiled food when we think of composting. Actually, it is a simple way you can \"Go Green\" in your own home in addition to the avid recycling you already participate in. Composting benefits us in at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Environmentally Friendly Ideas"","block_context":{"text":"Environmentally Friendly Ideas","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/category\/environmentally-friendly-ideas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Earthmaker Composter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.backyardcity.com\/Images\/ETC\/earthmaker-compost.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":450,"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardcity.com\/Outdoor-Patio-Blog\/yard-clippings-are-going-to-waste\/","url_meta":{"origin":1961,"position":4},"title":"Yard Clippings are Going to\u00a0Waste","author":"Trey Collier","date":"July 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you know that nearly 20% of all waste in an average landfill is yard waste?\u00a0 If you are throwing away your grass clippings, then you are missing out on a valuable resource. 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