GREENVILLE—The easiest way to explain the difference between compost and fertilizer is that compost feeds the soil, while fertilizer feeds the plants. Fertilizer adds to the soil’s nutrient levels.
Instead of feeding the soil food web, the ingredients in fertilizers are intended to meet the needs of fast-growing plants.
Sometimes the amount of compost gardeners are directed to add to the soil is very general, fertilizer application rates are based on the needs of plants.
Either organic or conventional fertilizers work well for most plants, but organic fertilizers have been shown to be better for balancing the soil food web. Some chemical fertilizers can also feed composting, but continual use may throw off your soil’s chemistry and discourage beneficial insects and microbes.
What is compost?
Compost is an all-natural product of nature, it is the organic nutrient rich dirt-like material that is produced when organic materials like tree leaves, yard waste, wood chips, paper, cardboard, food scraps and animal waste decomposes properly, thus making it a stable soil amendment.
Is compost a natural fertilizer?
Compost introduces organic microorganisms like bacteria and fungi back into the soil, and it can also be a natural source of other nutrients like nitrogen, boron, copper, phosphorus, and zinc, thus enriching the soil and making it more fertile to nourish and enhance plant growth, compost also helps increase a plants natural resistance to diseases and harmful insects.
The nutrient value in compost is not measured with a NPK value the same way an organic or synthetic fertilizer is measured, the nutrients in compost are derived from the by products released by the bacteria and fungi as they work in the soil to assist the decomposition of the many other organic substances found there that occur naturally as plants grow and use the soil from year to year.
“I have seen that compost encourages greater earthworm populations as it is also a food source for them,” Ed Flora, owner of Richland Gardens, Inc, of Greenville, said. “The worms help improve the soil structure.”
Advantages of using compost:
It works as a good food for the entire soil
Keeps the natural health of the soil at high levels
Helps for the proper growth of beneficial microbes
Provides the soil with natural nutritional elements
Helps the soil retain moisture
Promotes proper growth of plants
Helps the soil fight against disease
Works to feed soil directly
Makes the soil easier to work with
Plant roots can penetrate the soil easier thus making it easier for them to access the nutrients they need more readily
Flora said the question he’s asked the most is, ‘How much compost should be applied?’
Since compost is a natural source of plant nutrition the amount needed may vary, a nice rich black topsoil would need less while a heavy clay topsoil would see a greater benefit from an application of more compost.
Studies show that a 25% compost to soil ratio is very beneficial to plant growth. If your topsoil was six inches deep, a 1 ½ inch layer of compost worked into it would be sufficient, but if your soil is nice and rich a 10% to 15% (5/8 inch – 1 inch layer) could be enough.
Compost can also be applied just around the base of a newly planted plant (such as a tree, rose, tomato, etc.) to the diameter of the foliage canopy. more can be applied as the plant grows throughout the year, and perennials and trees would benefit from a fall application of compost. Potted plants would also benefit by placing a layer on top of the soil.
What is fertilizer?
Fertilizer comes in organic and synthetic forms. Organic fertilizers sources are derived from plant and animal products, like compost, manure, or bone meal to name a few. Synthetic fertilizers are made from minerals, gasses, and inorganic waste materials. Organic fertilizers feed and enrich the soil. Inorganic, or synthetic fertilizers are fast acting, but can burn and damage plants. Fertilizers are required by law to use the NPK ratio system to measure the levels of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (K on periodic chart) within them. So a fertilizer that is rated 12/12/12 has a balanced amount of each nutrient within it. Your soil or plants might be in need of one of the items versus the others, so you can choose a fertilizer based on what you need. If you’re growing something that needs a lot of nitrogen, you’d want one with a high ratio of it.
Advantages of using fertilizer:
Helps plants grow faster
Adds nutritional elements to the soil
Helps eliminate certain soil deficiencies
Can fulfill the specific needs of a wide range of plants
Provides macro and micro-nutrients
Provides essential nutrients to plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium
Care must be exorcised when using fertilizer as there are more disadvantages to using fertilizer in the soil than there are disadvantages of using compost.
Disadvantages of using fertilizer:
There is a risk of overloading the soil with nutrients when using fertilizer
Can cause severe environmental pollution
Can pollute groundwater
Certain fertilizers can upset the symbiotic relationship of microbes in the soil
Fertilizers can break the microbial balance in the soil
Certain fertilizers are harmful to the environment as well as the human body
Plants can become stunted or killed if too much fertilizer is applied, always follow the directions of the supplier.
Can compost and fertilizer be used together?
Compost and fertilizers can work together when used properly. The organic matter in compost can absorb the nutrients supplied by a fertilizer and store them until they are needed by plants.
Fertilizer can be used without using compost but why miss a chance to increase soil fertility and your soil’s ability to hold moisture. Soil that is amended regularly with compost becomes rich, dark, and crumbly, making it easier to work, and often needing much less fertilizer than soil that hasn’t been regularly treated with compost.
Richland Gardens was founded by Hollis and Charlotte Flora in the early 1960’s. It is currently owned and operated by their son Edward Flora and his wife Karen.
The greenhouse is located at 6914 US Route 36, Greenville, Ohio. Call 937-548-1577 for more information, or check out their Facebook Page.
