Compost and organic fertilizers improve garden soil.
If you have even a small garden, you have been faced with myriad of soil additives on the market designed to improve your garden. However, not all soil amendments are the same. Although compost is an organic fertilizer, commercially-prepared organic fertilizers may not be made from composted material. Does this Spark an idea?
What Is Compost?
Compost is a composite of decomposed organic material including grass clippings, raked leaves, kitchen waste and manure from a variety of animals. The composting material is kept moist in order to promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms that are important for decomposition. The compost is left to "cook" from two weeks to a year depending on the weather conditions and what is in the compost. Cooler temperatures slow decomposition, and the compost pile takes longer to break down. Coffee grounds and animal manure create a hotter pile which can cause decomposition to happen faster. The resulting compost resembles a rich, dark brown or black soil.
What Is an Organic Fertilizer?
An "organic" label on food means the food meets a specific requirement when it comes to chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. However, for fertilizers, "organic" has traditionally referred to any soil additive that comes from a natural source as opposed to inorganic or synthesized chemical fertilizers. Compost is a natural plant and animal byproduct. Therefore, compost is an organic fertilizer.
Labeling
In 1990, the USDA enacted the Organic Food Production Act which standardized the use of the term "organic" on labels. However, the arm of the USDA does not reach to the labeling of fertilizers. Labeling on fertilizer is regulated by the state; therefore, it isn't necessarily consistent from state to state or consistent with the USDA's regulations. Some fertilizers that have been labeled as organic do not comply with the USDA regulations which means any crops produced using that fertilizer cannot be certified as organic.
Bottom Line
When choosing between compost you've made in your backyard, compost available at the garden center and bags of organic fertilizer, remember that they all improve your garden's soil. The compost you've created in the compost bin in your backyard only contains the decomposed matter you placed in the pile. The bags of compost at the garden center should also only contain naturally decomposed matter. However, carefully read the label of bags of organic fertilizer, looking closely for inorganic or synthesized chemicals.
Tags: organic fertilizer, bags organic, bags organic fertilizer, compost organic, compost organic fertilizer, decomposed matter, decomposition compost