Compost – How it Works and Why You Should Use It

One of the most important ways of improving your garden is by adding some compost to the flower beds. Compost will improve your plant’s growth and overall health by providing valuable nutrients, will conserve water and discourage weeds from germinating. But what exactly is it, and how does it work?

Madingley Mulch supply compost to customers in Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and our home county of Cambridgeshire; here we explain some of the finer points of this garden staple and break down the differences between soil conditioners and compost.

 

What is Compost?

Compost is defined as ‘a decayed mixture of plants and other organic materials that is used to improve the soil in a garden’. These materials can include plant trimmings, vegetable waste, and even paper, wood chips, eggshells and teabags.

As well as improving your soil and helping your plants grow, compost is also extremely environmentally-friendly – it avoids the use of peat, which can release carbon when it is extracted from its natural habitat (for more details check out our previous blog here), so it’s a great option for those looking to both improve their garden’s growth and also lower their carbon footprint.

Creating your own compost heap is also a great way of recycling materials like those listed above – it means that a lot of rubbish need not go into your waste bin or end up in landfill.

 

How Does Compost Work?

As the material begins to decay, bacteria and fungi break down the materials in the compost heap. During this process the compost will heat up to around 140F (60C); once this process is complete it will cool down. Small creatures such as worms and insects will then break down the harder material.

The compost can eventually be spread onto the soil which will absorb the nutrients still present in the compost such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen. Compost is particularly beneficial for plant roots.

The whole process of creating your own compost takes between two months and a year, depending on a variety of factors. The volume of material, the time of year, the temperature, the thickness and density of the material and how often you turn it can all factor into the time it takes for the compost to form.

If you don’t want to wait that long, then you can buy it ready-made from us – this has the added advantage that it has been tried and tested (and different ones can be used for different soil types or growing conditions).

 

The Difference Between Soil Conditioners and Compost

Soil conditioners and composts are different products, although both of them can benefit both your soil and your plants’ growth.

The former improves the soil’s structure whereas the latter adds nutrients. Compost also improves moisture retention, so you don’t need to water your garden as often (and it helps provide a home, and food, for the various creatures in your garden).

 

Soil Conditioners and Compost in Suffolk from Madingley Mulch

At Madingley Mulch, we stock a range of composts; these include our spent mushroom compost, which contains horse manure and composted straw; this is particularly good at breaking down the heavy clay soils which are common in East Anglia.

Our specialist product, Denise’s Delight, combines the virtues of both compost and soil conditioner, as it contains both Black Fen soil as well as horse manure and other plant nutrients.

We also supply and deliver soil conditioners – for instance the lawn dressing which we stock at our Cambridge base is a soil conditioner which will smooth over the surface of the grass, protect it during the winter months as well as improving drainage and overall soil quality.

For a full breakdown of all the soil conditioners and composts we can deliver to customers in Suffolk and across East Anglia, click here.

If you can’t make it to our base on the outskirts of Cambridge, then we can deliver it to you – for more details check out our delivery page here. You can also call us on 01954 212144 and we will be happy to give you advice.

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