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What is compost?

seo-qna
Last updated date: 29th Jun 2024
Total views: 390.3k
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Answer
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Hint: A compost is a nutrient-rich commodity utilized in gardening, lawn maintenance, horticulture, organic agriculture, and urban farming. In several ways, compost is important for the soil as a natural fertilizer, manure, and a natural soil pesticide. Also, assist the addition of essential humus or humic acids to the soil.

Complete answer: Compost can be defined as a mushy mass formed from decomposed plant material resulting in rotted organic matter that can be used in gardening and agriculture. Composts are known to provide plants with a wide variety of nutrients, enhances soil composition, and introduces beneficial soil microbes. Macronutrients and micronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can usually be found in composts. Composts are typically used in large quantities. For home gardens, compost can be prepared on a small scale, usually in a simple stack of the garden, kitchen or food waste. Compost bins and barrels are also utilized for storage purposes. Proper aeration is necessary for proper decay and decomposition. Therefore, piles are usually mixed once every few days to achieve this. A compost pile consists of a proper carbon to nitrogen ratio (30:1). Vermicomposting is a composting technique that utilizes earthworms that are stored in specialized containers and fed with kitchen scraps and other plant matter. After several weeks the worms are withdrawn and their rich castings (manure) are gathered for use as a natural fertilizer.

Note: A nutrient-rich compost is developed by adding carbon (browns) and nitrogen (greens) to organic material, combined with plenty of air and water, that can be used as a natural fertilizer for our soil-sustaining growth prospects for plants.