SOILMATE® Compost – What Is Compost
The US Composting Council’s definition says:
“Compost is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material that has been sanitized through the generation of heat and stabilized to the point that it is beneficial to plant growth. Compost is an organic matter resource that has the unique ability to improve the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of soils or growing media. It contains plant nutrients but is typically not considered as a fertilizer.”
Soilmate® compost is the trademark name we use to differentiate our compost from others. Soilmate® is made entirely from leaves, grass and brush which produce a stable, highly beneficial and environmentally friendly product.
Loudoun Composting has been a member of the US Composting Council’s Seal of Testing Assurance Program since 2001, your guarantee that the product we sell you is of the highest quality.
Soilmate® Compost Benefits
As recycling continues to prove a worthy effort, the benefits of using compost have been extensively studied. The results reveal physical, chemical biological and environmental benefits. There are many uses of compost, all of which have been proven useful in some way.
Compost benefits the soil where it is used by improving drainage and moisture absorption, especially in soils that are otherwise poor quality. This makes growing in various types of soils easier and more productive. Compost also benefits the plant matter grown in the soil by providing nutrients to the plant’s growing area. Compost helps reduce runoff, making the use of fertilizer more productive and keeping it out of the water.
Environmentally, the use of compost has been shown to remediate, or clean up, contaminated soils by reducing toxic runoffs, binding certain toxins that might otherwise escape, and it prevents erosion when used near roadways, lakes, rivers, and streams. In addition to the biological, chemical, and environmental benefits of compost, the use of compost creates economic benefits.