Starting gardeners typically confuse the phrases “compost” and “fertilizer.” That is comprehensible as a result of there’s some overlap between the 2. Extra importantly, this confusion can result in uncertainty about whether or not to make use of compost or fertilizer in a selected scenario. To clear up the confusion, we’ll take a chook’s-eye view of the various kinds of fertilizer, which is a fancy subject in itself. Compost is an much more complicated subject since compost serves plenty of totally different capabilities. After buying a fundamental understanding of how fertilizer and compost differ, you may be taught what conditions name for fertilizer and when you need to use compost, as an alternative.
What Is Compost?
On the most elementary stage, compost is decomposed natural matter. Nevertheless, many types of natural matter are decomposing in many various places on a regular basis. After we say “compost,” we’re normally referring particularly to natural matter that has decomposed in a compost pile (typically contained in a bin or tumbler). Many gardeners maintain such a pile of their backyards to make their very own compost. This is among the variations between compost and fertilizer: Whereas you should purchase compost, you even have the choice of saving cash and simply making it for your self. Fertilizer, in contrast, is usually one thing you purchase.
There are 4 fundamental steps to take when making compost:
- Embrace “inexperienced” parts, similar to kitchen scraps.
- Embrace “brown” parts, such because the useless leaves you rake up in fall (shred first for greatest outcomes).
- Present water.
- Flip the pile over often.
Micro organism ultimately discover your pile. They assist it warmth up, and this warmth breaks down (decomposes) the natural matter. The resultant product appears to be like like soil to the untrained eye however affords much more worth than common soil.
Makes use of for Compost
Most rookies perceive that you could apply compost round vegetation to assist them develop. This provides to the confusion concerning the distinction between compost and fertilizer. Compost is best considered a “soil modification” than a fertilizer. By utilizing this time period, we acknowledge that compost not solely improves plant well being and development however provides different advantages, too. It could possibly enhance soil construction and thereby obtain higher drainage, aeration, and moisture retention. It additionally accommodates useful microorganisms and microbes that may help in plant diet and make vegetation extra disease-resistant.
What Is Fertilizer?
Fertilizer provides your vegetation with vitamins. A fertilizer falls into one in every of two classes, chemical or natural.
A chemical fertilizer is a synthetic product. That is the kind of fertilizer you might be most definitely getting whenever you purchase a type of massive garden fertilizer luggage at a house enchancment middle. It is put along with nice care to make sure that specific vitamins can be found specifically portions (that is the place NPK ratios are available). That is the excellent news. The dangerous information is that these merchandise may be dangerous if used incorrectly. An excessive amount of chemical fertilizer can burn your vegetation and totally different vegetation require various kinds of fertilizer. For instance, a fertilizer excessive in nitrogen will give your tomato vegetation numerous wholesome inexperienced foliage, however an excessive amount of nitrogen and never sufficient phosphorus might imply fewer fruits.
An natural fertilizer is a pure product. Whilst you nonetheless must watch out that you do not over-apply them, they’re usually safer than chemical fertilizers. Examples embody bloodmeal and bonemeal.
Makes use of for Fertilizer
When gardeners apply compost round vegetation for its nutritive properties, they’re utilizing it as an all-purpose product that may be utilized at any time. However when making use of a real fertilizer, you need to use it in a extra focused manner, at a selected time, primarily based on the particular vitamins it affords. Listed below are some examples:
- Bone meal is excessive in calcium and phosphorus. Apply it to your bulbs whenever you plant them in fall.
- Blood meal is excessive in nitrogen. Apply it to your bulbs after they come up in spring.
- Lovers of lawns usually fertilize their grass with chemical fertilizers.
When you select to use a chemical fertilizer you will need to know the particular nutrient wants of the plant for which it’s supposed. Chemical fertilizers can be found in plenty of totally different NPK ratios which implies one dimension, or one sort of fertilizer, doesn’t go well with all kinds of vegetation.
Can You Use Compost and Fertilizer Interchangeably?
Compost and fertilizer shouldn’t be used instead of one another. Utilizing compost achieves sure outcomes that fertilizer can not. For instance, fertilizer will not enhance the construction of your soil. Alternatively, some backyard soils might lack a a sure nutrient that is probably not current in compost. You will discover out the situation of your soil by sending a pattern to your county extension to have it examined. If a sure nutrient is lacking or at decrease than optimum ranges, you may complement the addition of compost with a applicable fertilizer. Your county extension can inform you what fertilizer to make use of, in addition to when and the way a lot to use.
When to Use Compost vs. When to Use Fertilizer
Once more, addressing a particular nutrient deficiency is one case of when folks select to make use of an natural fertilizer, not compost. One instance is when a tree or shrub fails to flower. Generally, the issue is an absence of phosphorus, which may be solved by making use of bone meal.
Generally, chemical fertilizers are simply extra handy. That is very true for feeding the garden. Many feed their lawns as much as thrice yearly, primarily based on schedules developed by fertilizer corporations. The composition of the fertilizer may be totally different for every of those feedings (particularly within the case of “weed and feed” merchandise), primarily based in your garden’s totally different wants because the 12 months progresses. Individuals with busy schedules typically go for skilled garden care to insure that their lawns obtain the suitable dietary supplements on the right occasions all year long.
Among the best advantages of compost is that it may be used with good outcomes anytime. If you end up beginning a backyard from scratch, you should have much more use for compost (a minimum of at first) than for fertilizer as a result of your purpose is to construct up the soil. If you make your individual, compost is free and it does not require cautious measuring and mixing to use. It may be tilled into the soil earlier than planting and added as a facet dressing or labored into the soil round established vegetation utilizing a backyard rake or hoe.