Composting is turning organic matter such as food back into high-quality soil. Because it recycles nutrients back into the ground, applying compost is an excellent alternative to fertilizers for feeding your plants. Nature’s best soil amendment, compost is simple to make and easy to apply, though it does require time and effort.

Compost improves soil texture, aeration, structure, nutrition and increases its water holding capacity. It adds fertility to the soil, loosens up clay soils and stimulates healthy root development in plants. The organic matter provides food for microorganisms that help keep the soil healthy and balanced, so few chemical additions are necessary.

Creating compost instead of throwing your food waste in a landfill also has many environmental benefits. Food and other organic waste that breaks down in an aerobic, or oxygen-rich environment, does not release methane like it does while breaking down in landfills, without oxygen. Well-nourished, aerated soil also holds more water, increasing to better drought resilience.