5 Different Types Of Compost For Vegetable Gardens

Gardens - Composting is an easy way to increase the yield from your vegetables, without using any extra space. By adding organic material such as leaves, grass clippings, or grass seeds to the soil, nutrients and moisture are absorbed more effectively. This helps restore the hydrological cycle in your soil, which helps maintain optimal values for both plants and animals in your garden.

Different Types Of Compost For Vegetable Gardens

Different types of compost make for great additions to your garden. Compost from plants like cabbages, potatoes, and beans helps plants stay healthy and increase their yield. The nutrients contained in these plants' tissues help support plant growth and help prevent diseases that can be passed along to humans. To increase the amount of nutrients available to your vegetable garden, try adding a half-pound bag of fresh compost to each potting mix you use for potting soil.

What is Compost?

Compost is an organic matter that has been partially decomposed. It’s made by decomposing organic matter into simpler organic and inorganic chemicals in a process called composting. You can either buy it or make it yourself.

Although you can make your own compost at home, it can be quite time-consuming, and it can take 4 months or longer before homemade compost is ready to be used in the garden. It’s best to purchase ready-made compost, especially for beginner gardeners, as it’s the simplest and quickest way to get started growing vegetables.

5 Different Types Of Compost For Vegetable Gardens

There are five different types of compost available; each has different ingredients and is used for different purposes in gardening.

All/Multi-Purpose Compost For Vegetables 

This compost is made from cow/goat, sheep/goat or human urine, human hair and other by-products of the meat, fruit and other industry sources (corn cobs, tea leaves etc.). Most vegetables and herbs will grow well in this material providing you supply fresh potting soil at all times. It provides a place for your organic waste material to go untamed thus reducing the potential for spread of harmful pathogens

Organic Compost

What is Organic Compost? It’s a green messy mess that looks like plant poop but it is packed full of nutrients. If you look at it closely you will see tiny creatures live in the lower layers of the muck. These are fungi and bacteria. The nutritious material (wood fibers and other plant parts) is forced through a breaking process creating a nutrient rich soil-waste product ready to be used by your plants.The organic matter expelled from your plants is filtered through a one-way spigot, removing anything harmful that may be in the process of being expelled.

Peat-Based Compost

Peat-based compost can be made from waste from nearly any process where organic matter is broken down. This includes agricultural and forestry waste, yard waste, household garbage, construction and demolition debris, and more. However, peaty compost is more commonly found in commercial and industrial facilities where emissions from burning or drying plant materials such as wood or agricultural wastes is involved.

Peat-Free Compost

What makes peat-free compost different than other types of compost? First, it contains no animal materials such as blood or hair. Second, it contains micronutrients including iron, copper, manganese, and zinc that are needed by plants for healthy growth. When added to the garden, these micro- nutrients help plants double their production of edible foliage while reducing the need for additional faucets or spoons to feed everyone at once. 

Loam-Based Compost

Loam-Based Compost is ideal for garden plants, because it helps break down organic material so plants have less need to feed on minerals. It is also a great choice for plants in containers because it doesn’t require air conditioning or heating in order to dry out. Before adding the compost to your area, it is best to clean the area well to remove any built-up dirt or bacteria. 

Loam-based composts break down more slowly than other types of compost, so it is best applied after the weather has been warm for several days

Share :