Lately I’ve been looking at my garden a lot. Some plants did
well, some plants did not (I'm looking at you- tomatoes!). Could my home compost help? The types of food scraps
you add to your compost can influence which plants benefit the most from it.
Different plants have different nutritional needs, so here are some
recommendations to get the most out of your compost:
Eggshells
If your compost has a lot of eggshells,
you will benefit the most from putting your compost on tomatoes, peppers, and
eggplants. Eggshells contain calcium, which is a nutrient that can help
fruiting plants prevent “Blossom End Rot.” There’s nothing worse than watching
your plant flower and start to grow fruit, only for the fruit to rot before it
ever ripens. You can put eggshells directly in the garden if you want to forego
your compost bin, but if you do this, it’s recommended to give them a good
clean first so that you don’t attract rodents. They also may take a while to
fully breakdown without the help of your compost bin microbes, so your garden
may look like a Humpty Dumpty graveyard for a while.
Coffee Grounds
If your compost has a lot of coffee grounds,
you need to be a little more selective about which plants to use it on. Coffee
grounds have a high nitrogen content and can make your compost more acidic.
Peppers, carrots, blueberries, and strawberries will
like this. Compost with coffee grounds may also do a better job of warding away
garden pests, like ants, so it may be a good fit for your garden if you are trying to control those munchy insects. Some flowering plants would also enjoy your composted
brew, such as hydrangeas and roses. Hydrangeas that turn color may even start
to show more blue pigment when given more acidic soil. While you can put coffee
grounds directly in your garden, the best recommendation is to compost first so
that the grounds aren’t so strong that they harm good microbes in your soil. Want
to know a little more about what coffee grounds can do for your compost? Read
more about them here.
Potato Skins
If your compost has a lot of potato skins
(because let’s face it, everyone loves potatoes), your compost will be high in
potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Much like how everyone loves potatoes, all
of your garden plants will too. You can spread this compost universally and
yield good results. Tomatoes may like it the most, but most garden plants will
benefit from these nutrients. You can incorporate potato skins directly into
your garden, but you run the risk of accidentally sprouting young potato
plants. Like the eggshells, they will also break down much slower in your
garden than they would in your compost bin.
While some plants may benefit more than others from certain
nutrients, any compost is usually going to be good for your garden in the long
run, so don’t overthink your compost recipe. What plants have you found benefited
the most from your home compost?
Compost Blogger: Sam Goubeaux
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