What Does Compost Mean?

Compost refers to decayed organic material made from decomposed plants. Compost is often used to fertilize the soil and augment the humus content which gives nutrition to the plants and increase the ability of the soil to retain water. Generally the compost comprises of 2 percent nitrogen, 2 percent potassium and about 1 percent phosphorous. The process of decomposition can be speeded up by spraying lime, nitrogen fertilizer and adding manure to the soil. Since the compost is usually low in nutritional content, it has to be used in adequate quantities.

A compost pile usually comprises of dead plants, leaves, vegetable waste, hay, sawdust, grass clippings, peat and to some extent animal wastes like cow dung and horse manures. Vastly used in gardening and agriculture, the compost is also finding commercial usage in landscaping, wet land construction and control of soil erosion. The compost is also mixed with a little bit of sand for forming a base which can make the seeds proliferate, and also improve the drainage capacity.