Growing Plants for Compost: Creating Nutrient-Rich Soil for Your Garden

Oleh Harry Schroeder March 07, 2023 Post a Comment

If you're looking to create a healthier, more sustainable garden, composting is one of the best ways to do it. And if you want to take your composting to the next level, then consider growing plants specifically for compost. Not only can these plants help you produce richer soil, but they can also provide a range of other benefits for your garden. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how to grow plants for compost, what kinds of plants are best suited for this purpose, and how to use them effectively in your compost pile.

Why Grow Plants for Compost?

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty details of growing plants for compost, let's first take a step back and ask: why bother? What are the benefits of growing specific plants for compost, as opposed to just adding any organic matter you can get your hands on?

First and foremost, growing plants for compost allows you to tailor the nutrient content of your compost to the specific needs of your garden. Different plants contain different ratios of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and other essential nutrients, so by selecting the right mix of plants, you can create a compost that provides precisely the balance of nutrients your garden requires.

But there are other benefits to growing plants for compost as well. For example:

Compost plants can help suppress weeds, which means less work for you in the long run.
Some compost plants, such as clover, can act as natural fertilizers, fixing nitrogen from the air and transferring it to the soil.
Compost plants can serve as habitat and food sources for beneficial insects, such as pollinators and pest predators.
Finally, growing plants for compost can be an efficient way to make use of space that might otherwise go unused in your garden.

What Kinds of Plants Are Best for Composting?

So now that we've established why you might want to grow plants for compost, let's talk about what kinds of plants are best suited to this task. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of compost plants:

Plants that are high in nitrogen (also known as "greens"). These include things like grass clippings, vegetable scraps, and manure.
Plants that are high in carbon (also known as "browns"). These include things like dried leaves, straw, and wood chips.

The best compost piles contain a mixture of both greens and browns, so it's important to select plants from both categories when planning your compost garden. Some specific examples of compost plants include:

Clover
Alfalfa
Buckwheat
Comfrey
Nettles
Dandelion
Yarrow
Borage
Chicory

These plants are all relatively easy to grow, and many of them have additional benefits beyond their usefulness in composting. Clover, for example, is a great source of nitrogen and can also help fix nitrogen in the soil, while comfrey is known for its ability to accumulate nutrients and minerals from deep within the soil.

How to Use Compost Plants Effectively

So you've decided to start growing some plants specifically for compost. Great! But how do you actually use them effectively in your compost pile?

One common approach is to simply chop up the plant material and add it directly to the pile, much like you would with any other type of organic matter. However, some people prefer to make "compost tea" instead. To do this, you'll need to steep the plant material in water for several days, then strain out the liquid and use it to water your plants. Compost tea is a concentrated source of nutrients, and many gardeners find that it helps their plants grow bigger, stronger, and healthier.

Another option is to use the plant material as a mulch. This can help suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and retain moisture in the soil. Simply spread a layer of chopped-up leaves or other plant material around the base of your plants, being careful not to cover the stems or leaves.

Growing plants specifically for compost can be a great way to boost the health and productivity of your garden. By selecting the right mix of plants and using them effectively in your compost pile, you can create a rich, nutrient-dense soil that will help your garden thrive. Whether you choose to make compost tea, use the plant material as a mulch, or simply add it directly to the pile, you're sure to notice the benefits of growing plants for compost.