Composting For Dummies
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Composting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil. Whether you sprinkle compost on the surface of the soil or work it in, your garden plants and landscape will grow healthier and stronger thanks to the addition. Your garden benefits from compost in the following ways:

  • Incorporates organic matter to feed microorganisms and macroorganisms that maintain a healthy soil food web

  • Enriches soil with nutrients for plant growth

  • Releases nutrients slowly so they don’t leach away as some synthetic fertilizers do

  • Improves soil structure

  • Promotes drainage and aeration in clay soil

  • Enhances moisture and nutrient retention in sandy soil

  • Reduces soil compaction

  • Inhibits erosion

  • Suppresses soil-borne diseases and pests

  • Attracts earthworms, nature’s best soil builders

About This Article

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Cathy Cromell is a writer and editor who's written extensively about gardening and landscaping. She is a certified master gardener, master composter, and master entomologist. The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at garden.org and kidsgardening.org.

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