
HomeBiogas 2021 Impact & ESG Report
With a wide portfolio of products, HomeBiogas helps businesses achieve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Criteria, enabling them to demonstrate their commitment to safeguard the environment.
Read MoreThe terms compost and fertilizer aren’t interchangeable, especially from a legal perspective. While gardeners often see these terms as synonyms, these words refer to two materials for different gardening purposes. Compost can play a double role (of compost and fertilizer), but the two products solve different problems in the bigger picture. Moreover, they must be applied at different moments throughout the year.
Compost is a mix of substances and organic matter used to enrich and enhance soil, usually made by decomposing plants, food waste, and other organic materials. Compost supplies the earth with nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and improves its ability to keep these nutrients longer.
On the other hand, fertilizers are organic or chemical compounds used to nourish plants. The primary nutrients are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, all vital plant minerals, so farmers regularly use fertilizers to boost crop productivity.
Compost and fertilizer are complementary, and both play an essential role in keeping your crops and the soil healthy.
The main difference between compost and fertilizer is their purpose. Compost nourishes the soil, while fertilizers provide nutrients for the plants. Consequently, composter utilization is flexible and general, while fertilizer quantities and composition are more rigid to match the exact needs of the plants.
Adding fertilizer to crops increases the nutrient supply in the soil, but all the substances will fulfill the needs of fast-growing plants. The soil food web doesn’t significantly benefit from the fertilizer’s presence. Therefore, compost must be used to maintain the soil’s balance and health.
Both fertilizers and compost can be organic or enriched with chemical substances. Organic materials are more likely to preserve the soil’s composition, and all chemical products should be used with care, whether fertilizer or compost.
The soil is home to many living organisms — we can find between 10,000 and 50,000 species in less than a teaspoon of soil. Organic fertilizer obtained by composting organic matter is the best resource for maintaining a healthy ecosystem long-term.
Using compost as fertilizer feeds and protects the soil, as it inoculates it with beneficial bacteria and life.
The benefits of using compost are multiple:
Yes, compost can work as organic fertilizer (or biofertilizer), but there are things to consider when deciding not to add fertilizer to your crops besides the compost.
Compost keeps the soil healthy, which means plants will likely thrive in your garden without any auditions. The downside is that compost releases nutrients slowly over time, while chemical fertilizer provides a boost and accelerates growth in a short period.
If you consistently use compost and maintain soil health, your plants won’t require fertilizer. Instead, they’ll get their nutrients as they’re slowly released into the ground by compost. A rapid feed is rarely necessary for a healthy garden, where the soil is well-balanced and can provide nutrients on its own.
Compost advantages:
Compost disadvantages:
Fertilizer can be helpful in your compost when added in limited quantities. Fertilizer and minerals in the compost pile support bacteria while also improving compost quality — thanks to increased amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
These substances are vital to plant growth and the health of the composting pile, as bacteria need large amounts to get the energy necessary for breaking down the organic matter and turning it into compost.
The secret when using fertilizer to improve compost is adding small quantities and compensating with matching amounts of carbon-rich materials. Otherwise, the high amounts of nitrogen present in fertilizer will likely unbalance the chemical composition of the composting pile.
Scientists can’t seem to agree on whether synthetic fertilizer impacts soil health more than plant growth in the long run. So, it ultimately depends on personal choices, goals, and lifestyle. Either way, the same principles apply — you must pay attention to the quantities of fertilizer you use to ensure balance.
Fertilizer advantages:
Fertilizer disadvantages:
As a general rule, compost should be added annually during fall, so it starts releasing nutrients by the following spring. On the other hand, fertilizer is better used in spring and when the plants are at the peak of their growing cycle. Some plants might require an extra fertilizer boost throughout the year to maximize productivity.
Compost and fertilizer work best together, completing each other’s qualities. However, it’s crucial to test the soil before enriching it with any nutrients. Knowing the soil’s pH and specific needs can help you make better decisions around what products to use and when to apply them to better serve the crops and the soil.
Compost feeds the soil, and fertilizer boosts plants. It’s a way to get the short-term and long-term benefits at once. Moreover, adding fertilizers directly to your composting pile can be an excellent way of mixing the two.
Using compost regularly enables you to maintain a healthy environment for your plants, which reduces the need for fertilizer throughout the year. However, additional products might be necessary for specific crops, depending on natural phenomena, your method for rotating cultures, and climate.
With a wide portfolio of products, HomeBiogas helps businesses achieve Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Criteria, enabling them to demonstrate their commitment to safeguard the environment.
Read MoreAt HomeBiogas, we are taking responsibility for our planet together with our customers. They are visionaries, changemakers and inspiring people creating a positive future for us all. We are thankful to our wonderfully courageous customers, and we are proud to share their stories.
Read MoreMost people take hot water, indoor plumbing, and flushing toilets for granted, but things aren’t always that easy. Outside centralized sewers, managing waste and wastewater can be a challenge all year round, and having the right equipment can become a game-changer for homeowners. Off-grid toilets and sanitation systems make waste management easier while providing comfort and sustainable solutions. You can pick from multiple systems, from flush toilets to compost toilets to waterless toilets. This blog post will tell you everything you need to know to make an educated decision for your homestead.
Read MoreWhen a household can’t connect to sewage or wishes to live sustainably, composting toilets (or compost toilets) offer homes sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions to human waste management. But selecting the ideal product isn't always straightforward. A bit of research is needed before buying the best composting toilet for your home, and this blog post can help you get started.
Read MoreRenewable natural gas is improved biogas that can substitute natural gas with a significantly lower environmental impact. It’s obtained from organic waste, whether it comes from municipal solid waste landfills, wastewater treatment plants, livestock farms, food production facilities, or other organic waste management operations.
Read MoreAfter two years of Covid, the hotels are experiencing a revival and all of us are already fantasizing about a pampering vacation that includes tanning at the poolside and a rich buffet. But what happens to all the food that is left in the buffet after we're done piling it up on our plates? The hotel industry is responsible for 37% of the food waste in Israel, this is how the environmental and economic damage can be reduced.
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