Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
of your soil in a biological matrix that will make it available
to plants as needed, without being washed out of your soil.
Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfectly
sustainable system because, if you eat the food you grow, part
of that mineral content is retained in your body and some is
discarded as waste. But even then, the mineral conservation
achieved through composting substantially reduces the
amount of minerals you will need to supply via outside
sources.
Likewise, for a variety of reasons, few soils available to
homeowners and renters already contain an optimum mineral
content, and they will need to be supplemented with the
required minerals. But once those minerals are in the soil,
conscientious composting practices will help to retain them,
so that fewer will need to be added in the future.
Fewer additives equates to less money being spent for the
value of the produce you raise. So composting will allow you
to raise more sturdy plants that provide superior nutrition for
less money. If self-sufficiency or health are your objectives,
composting is not optional—it's necessary.
Though you may need to buy bagged compost when you start
gardening, bagged compost is extremely expensive. Though it
varies from crop to crop, in general you may need to add
anywhere from two to eight cubic feet of compost for every
thirty-two square feet of garden. At the time of writing,
bagged compost costs anywhere from $5 to $8 per cubic foot.
It wouldn't take a very big garden for this to run into
hundreds or even thousands of dollars. And what you get for
all that money may not be what you expect.
