CITY OF MANSFIELD STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
COMPOSTING
What Is Compost?
Compost is decaying organic matter (lawn clippings, vegetable peelings/shavings, etc...) used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients.
How Does Compost Prevent Storm Water Pollution?
Applying compost to a yard has many benefits. One benefit is compost behaves as an organic fertilizer, releasing nutrients into the soil slowly over long periods of time. Organic fertilizers do not release nutrients into the environment as freely as inorganic, or chemical, fertilizers. This means more of the nutrients are actually consumed by the plants intended to receive them and fewer nutrients are washed off the lawn into storm drains when it rains (as with chemical fertilizers).
Soils mixed with compost are also able to retain moisture more easily, and allow more water and air to reach the root systems of plants. This means less water is needed for irrigation, and the lawns retain more water when it rains. The increase in air in the soil allows the plants to be healthier, and encourages the growth of beneficial soil organisms.
Excess nutrients from private and commercial landscapes and lawn areas cause serious problems in local lakes and streams. Excess nutrients are the primary cause of algal blooms, and can lead to a decrease in fish and aquatic plants. A study by the TCEQ found that residential users apply more fertilizer per acre than agricultural users.
Composting also decreases the amount of wastes sent to the landfill. Indirectly, this leads to less storm water pollution. When vegetable and plant wastes are composted, there is more room for other wastes. This leads to fewer trips for the disposal trucks, reducing the amount of miles driven and all of the exhaust, oil, gasoline, tire wear and other deposits that go with that reduction.
Since compost helps soils retain water, applying compost to your lawn or landscape helps save you money. Since Texas experiences periodic droughts, compost helps keep your lawn or landscape drought tolerant during times when water is scarce. This means you may lose fewer plants when droughts cause irrigation bans.
How do I compost?
There are several web sites offering tips and tricks for the many different types of composting. There are also many products on the market, for composting and there are also several ways to compost. Compost can be done using compost piles, bins, drums, and many other methods.
Some composters also add worms and other natural detritivores (decomposers) to compost systems to aid in the break down of the organic materials. There is no single way to compost properly. The best advice is to do what you feel comfortable doing.
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