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Understanding different types of compost
You could be forgiven for thinking all compost is the same, that is vegetation that’s permitted to break down and release nutrients into the earth
You could be forgiven for thinking all compost is the same, that is vegetation that’s permitted to break down and release nutrients into the earth.
Well, yes and no.
It used to be that your green-fingered granny (or some other relative) would fling their potato peelings, grass, flower stems and other plant-derived debris onto their home-made compost heap.
From there, it would eventually make its way onto vegetables and flower beds.
And, of course, some people do still make it that way.
However, the majority of gardeners will buy compost in bag form.
Compost made from animal waste, mushrooms, even worms, are all an option and each type will have attributes to enhance plant growth.
So, if you’re looking for the best type of compost, it’s essential that you check out the different variations and how they can be used.
What is compost?
Before we do anything else, let’s get down to basics and explore exactly what compost is, and how it can be used effectively.
Essentially, compost is a mixture of various materials that are used as plant fertiliser.
This is commonly made from plants and food waste that has decomposed, and as a result is full of nutrients. It can improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties.
But it doesn’t stop there, because composting has undergone serious development over time.
It’s now possible to buy different types of compost to ensure your garden gets maximum benefits from all your efforts.
These can range from regular garden compost to vermicompost, which uses worms to turbo charge decomposition.
What does compost do?
Why is compost so important? Well, the simple answer is that it makes your plants healthier and stronger, but let’s dig deeper…
It conserves water
Compost helps to reduce soil erosion in a number of ways, including by compacting soil, increasing infiltration, and slowing the surface flow of water.
It also helps to control water flows on and also through soil, and is thereby an efficient way to manage stormwater.
It’s a natural way to enrich soil
Soil is incredible. It’s where 95 per cent of our food is grown, it’s home to billions of organisms, and it also stores carbon which is an essential factor in the fight against climate change.
In fact, the soil holds three times more carbon than the atmosphere.
However, carbon in soil is being depleted thanks to factors like intensive farming, erosion, and contamination.
What compost does is reintroduce organic matter into soil, giving it a better texture and making it water retentive.
As a result, plants grow stronger, will become healthier and have greater resilience.
Balances the density of soil
Compost is great for soils that are too tightly structured because it will help to loosen them up. It will also help to clump together soils that are looser.
The result is soil that’s more balanced, and this allows plants to develop healthier roots and in turn produce healthier plants.
Enhances biodiversity
We may not love creepy crawlies and earthworms, but a thriving ecosystem plays a vital role when it comes to healthy soil.
Insects and beneficial microbes provide nutrients for the soil, and are also an important part of the food chain, supporting other bugs, smaller mammals, and bird life.
Balances pH
Compost balances soil so that it’s the correct pH for your plants.
pH is how the acidity or alkalinity of soil is measured on a logarithmic scale. For example, a pH of 7 indicates neutrality.
Most types of compost will have a pH of between 6 and 8.
The ones you use will depend upon what you are growing as each specific plant species requires a specific pH range.
Reduces waste and saves landfill space
Around 25-30% of what we throw away is organic waste.
If food waste goes to landfill, it will produce methane which is a greenhouse gas 25 times more impactful than CO₂ over a 100-year period.
By creating compost, the amount of methane produced is naturally reduced, and therefore it’s a much greener way of dealing with this type of waste.
It also results in a reduction in landfill.
That’s not all; compost reduces greenhouse gases, but it also removes additional emissions from the atmosphere.
By promoting healthier and more vital plant growth, compost is a key system to enable plants to take in carbon dioxide and convert it into leafy growth.
Mitigates the effects of climate change
Finally, compost also helps to increase resilience to the effects of climate change, conditions such as drought, flooding and other catastrophic weather conditions.
Compost can actually play a vital role in helping to prevent erosion during extreme storm events and in retaining water when there are droughts.
As you can see, there’s so much more to compost than you might think.
Not only that, but there are compost types suitable for different types of plants.
Let’s take look at a number of the most effective.
Different types of compost
Garden compost: The classic choice
This is the type of multi-purpose compost that you might use for sowing seeds, planting borders, and taking cuttings in the garden.
It’s perfect for nourishing plants, retaining water, and promoting growth.
Not all garden compost has the same composition, so ensure you read the label before you buy so that you know whether it’s suitable for your needs or not.
Mushroom compost: A nutrient-rich option
Mushroom compost is a by-product of mushroom cultivation, and is also known as spent mushroom substrate.
What makes this an excellent choice is that it is packed with nutrients. It’s also sustainable and eco-friendly.
This mushroom growing by-product also includes other components including straw, primarily from wheat or barley, a material which has a fibrous structure that provides aeration and drainage essential for healthy mushroom growth.
It can also include wood chips, which is another source of nutrients, ones which are released gradually as the wood slowly decomposes.
Wood chips also introduce lignin, another complex carbohydrate that the mycelium breaks down for energy.
Grain is another source of carbohydrates and nutrients for the mushroom mycelium, while calcium carbonate, commonly known as limestone, is added to the compost to regulate its pH level.
There might be other additives included in this type of compost, including gypsum, which is a source of calcium, vermiculite, which boosts drainage and aeration, and chicken manure, which provides nitrogen and other nutrients.
Mushroom compost has a host of benefits; it’s a fantastic source of essential nutrients for plant growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients.
It improves the structure of soil increasing its porosity and water-holding capacity.
This enhances drainage, aeration, and root penetration, promoting healthy plant growth.
And it creates the ideal environment for all kinds of valuable microorganisms, like fungi, bacteria, and earthworms. These are great for keeping plants in optimum health.
This type of compost also cuts down on the need of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, thus reducing environmental pollution.
It could arguably be said to be one of the most eco-friendly types of compost you might find.
Use it for:
- Vegetable gardening: It’s an excellent way to improve the structure of your soil, help with drainage and boost growth.
- Orchards: Fruit trees can also benefit from the richness of this type of compost as it improves drainage and supports root growth.
- Flower gardens: It’s great for flowering plants as it provides them with necessary nutrient and gives the soil more texture and body.
Green waste compost: Environment-friendly recycling
Green waste compost has been formulated from all the waste derived from gardens.
The archetypal green waste compost will be composed from grass, leaves, hedge trimmings, small branches, weeds, and other plant stuff. Once collected it will be processed and turned into compost.
Green waste compost can:
- Provide a barrier against soil erosion
- Act as a weed suppressant
- Turbo charge organic matter in the soil
- Boost nitrogen levels
- Draw nutrients from deep in the soil
Use it for:
Enriching soil and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
Manure-based compost: An effective fertiliser
This is exactly what you might think it is – animal droppings and urine that can be composted or just place directly onto the soil.
Imagine just how many tonnes of this is produced each year? Could compost get more sustainable than that?
Those who live in the countryside will probably be no stranger to this type of compost. However, most of us live in more urban areas, so find it impossible to source this incredibly rich resource.
Manure compost will often also contain a high carbon source such as straw, which is used to balance out the high nitrogen found in the animal poo.
A word of warning; manure can potentially contain herbicides, some of which don’t break down until they’re in the soil, and these can impact adversely on plant health.
It also works well when combined with green materials in your compost heap.
Use it for:
Improving the fertility of the soil. It’s best composted first, as this reduces pathogens, kills weed seeds and provides a more stable soil amendment.
Vermicompost: Composting with worms
This is a compost which uses earthworms to help the composting process.
It’s a mixture of organic matter that’s been broken down with the help of a specific type of earthworm called red wigglers or Eisenia fetida.
Basically, they munch on the organic waste and digest it, a process which subsequently releases valuable nutrients and microorganisms in their castings.
The result is a top-quality compost that greatly benefits plants and soil.
The main advantage of vermicompost is its incredibly superior content. It’s packed with nutrients essential to plant growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as a load of micronutrients.
This type of compost is also great for improving the structure of soil ramping up elements such as texture, porosity, and water-holding capacity.
Use it for:
Organic waste management and soil enrichment.
Blended compost: Combining the best of all worlds
Blended compost is the go-to if you’re unsure of what your garden needs as it combines a variety of organic matter such as grass and weeds, food waste and animal manure.
This results in a more diverse and balanced type of compost.
It contains all these different types of matter, meaning that it’s more resilient when it comes to changes in temperature, moisture levels, and pest infestations.
Which compost is right for your garden?
When choosing to compost, it’s useful if you understand the composition of garden soil you’re dealing with and what suits the types of plants you wish to grow.
If that’s not the case, don’t worry!
A multi-purpose compost is the way to go in this instance because it will work for bedding plants, containers, and hanging baskets.
Some types of multi-use are peat-based, others are peat-free, which is a more environment-friendly choice.
It doesn’t work for all plants, however, as some have more specific needs.
You might want to choose instead a well-rotted manure and organic soil compost to improve soil structure and fertility.
Vegetable gardens, flower beds, and heavy clay soils will benefit greatly from this type of compost as it will enrich the soil with nutrients and promote healthy plant growth.
Mushroom compost is another excellent choice but because it’s more alkaline than other types, though it won’t be suitable for acid-loving plants.
This might be a lot to take in, but one thing is clear; compost is vital to the health of your garden.
You just can’t do without it!
So, make sure you browse composts from Forward Builders' Supplies and find the one your garden needs.
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