Category: Soils & Plant Nutrients

How long to compost chicken manure before use is still one of the commonly asked questions by farmers who rear chicken and use its manure as fertilizer.

Chickens are generous enough to give us eggs and manure. We concentrate on the eggs and forget the manure. We can’t allow the manure to continue accumulating in the coop without using it in our vegetable gardens.

Manure in the coop attracts rodents and flies. It also breeds a harmful environment for your chickens. That’s why you need to clean the coop, remove the manure, and compost it before using it in the garden.

How Long To Compost Chicken Manure?

Chicken manure takes time to mature well. This time depends on the conditions under which the manure is composted. It takes between 6 to 9 months on average for chicken compost manure to ready for use. Although after 9 months the manure is ready for use, some farmers opt to wait for up to 12 months before using it.

To speed the process, you can use a compost catalyst, check a homemade catalyst recipe here.

Composting Chicken Manure Like a Pro

There are steps to follow when composting chicken manure. These steps ensure that you get the best results within the right time frame. Follow us as we take you through the step by step process.

Step 1: Collect chicken manure and used bedding. Chicken farmers use sawdust, shavings, dry leaves, or straw as dry bedding for chicken. The used bedding should be collected together with the manure and put into the compost bin.

Step 2: Use the right proportions. Combine the right ratio of used bedding and manure each time to form a pile. Since farmers use different bedding, it important to follow the rule of 1 part brown and 2 parts green. Yet, because the chicken manure is so high in nitrogen, you can use 1:1 or 2:1 mixture.

Step 3: Use a hot compost recipe. When you combine the right ratio of used bedding and manure, you can now add moisture. Water is the best form of moisture that works as a catalyst. Heating is a very important step as it destroys pathogens.

The compost pile must heat up to 130-150 degrees F and maintain the same temperature for 3 days. Keep the temperature in check using a compost temperature gauge. Temperatures above 160 degrees F can kill the beneficial microorganisms and slow the process.

Step 4: Repeat the heating process. After three days of heating, allow your manure to start cooling. Turn the pile every few weeks to get air into the pile and repeat the heating process every time you turn the pile.

Step 5: Let it cure. Once you are satisfied with the heating and cooling of the entire compost, cover it. Let it cure for about 6 to 9 months on average. If you are uncertain how well your chicken manure has composted, you can give it about 3 more months to cure. It’s ready when most material is dark, sweet-smelling, and crumbly.

When it’s ready for use, spread the composted chicken manure on the garden. It produces excellent results for your vegetables to grow in.

Read more about the key components in making the best compost for tomatoes

Conclusion

Although it takes too much time and work to compost the chicken manure; its benefits outweigh the work. To get this black gold, keep digging!

Almost all gardening advice gives great tips on both compost and topsoil use but not everybody understands the difference between topsoil vs compost.

Are you struggling to grow plants in poor soil? Is your garden full of clay or sandy soil that you want to replace? If so, you must be looking for ways to improve your garden by either using compost or buying topsoil.

We all know that getting the right soil is by ensuring it has the right nutrients to make the plants thrive. So what happens when the soil is poor?

We have put together information that you need to know what to use when your soil is not in its best state.

The Differences between Top Soil vs. Compost

What is topsoil? Topsoil is a layer of soil out of which your plants grow. It is relatively shallow. Depending on where it’s found, it contains organic matter and nutrients for your plants.

What is compost? Compost is a soil-enriching nutrient that comes from food scraps, dried leaves peelings, eggshells, cardboard, paper, etc. These materials are mixed together in a heap outside or a compost bin and left to decompose. Once well rotten, the mixture is good for the soil and used as manure.

Differences to Help you Choose between the Two

What is Best to Use Top Soil vs Compost?

Compost and topsoil are very similar to each other. It is very hard for farmers to distinguish between these two mediums. Adding a layer of topsoil or compost to your garden soil helps add important nutrients to depleted soils. Both equally help improve the overall quality of your current soil. There are many benefits to adding them to your soil because they bring in the nutrients required.

Each of these two has special benefits to the soil and it’s hard to choose one over the other.  The best advice is to keep them both as they serve the soil differently. No one can replace the other!

• The topsoil retains the soil structure and holds moisture far longer than the compost. It is also relatively affordable to buy.
• The compost has more organic matter that the soil requires. The best part of the compost is how it releases its nutrients slowly. Therefore it’s used for an extended period of time.

Where to Buy Compost?

If you don’t have the time to make your own compost, the easiest way to buy compost is online, I have put together a list of products you may try:

• Charlie’s Compost– it is made of chicken manure, corn stalks, straw, forest products, hay, clay, and beneficial microbe inoculants.

• Wiggle Worm Worm Castings– is an all-purpose natural fertilizer and contains rich proportions of water-soluble nutrients.

• Wakefield Biochar– biochar made of wood and compost blended with Mycorrhizal Fungi.

• Michigan Peat Compost and Manure– a balanced blend of organic peat and manure, it doesn’t have any odor and can be used in lawns and planting beds.

• Fishnure– fish manure compost, it is an organic fertilizer and soil conditioning. The carbon source used to create the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio for this compost is oat straw.

• Malibu Biodynamic Compost– it is made in the United States and helps to repair your soil‘s ecosystem.

Conclusion

Ever had 2 pieces of valuable items that you want to choose one over the other. How easy was that decision? Which one did you choose and which one did you not? Do you think you made a wise choice to let one go? Was it wise to keep them both? Now you know, 2 valuables do not compete in the same category! They only go hand in hand!

Learning how to make a homemade compost catalyst enables you to make your pile efficiently available saving you valuable time.

Compost comes from decomposing leaves, papers, eggshells, coffee grounds, and soil. It is rich in nitrogen and carbon which are beneficial to the soil. A new compost usually takes between 1 to 2 months to fully mature.

New compost can benefit from a homemade compost catalyst to help speed up the process. By combining a few basic ingredients found at home your compost pile will be cooking up the nutrients within no time.

How To Make Homemade Compost Catalyst

By learning how to speed up composting and the key factors involved, you can make your own compost within a shorter period of time. A compost pile must be at least 4’x4’x4′ to generate and keep sufficient heat. Too large piles will be too big to compress which limits the oxygen flow.

Things You Will Need

• 6 ounces of beer
• 12 ounces of soda
• ½ cup of ammonia
• 2 gallons of warm water
• 5-gallon bucket
• Shovel for mixing
• Garden sprayer

The Step by Step Method

• Place the 5-gallon bucket on sturdy ground. Choose a bucket that has not had any chemicals or any harmful contents. Clean it well before use.

• Pour 6 ounce of beer into the bucket – don’t drink any. Beer contains yeast that helps speed up the decomposition process in the compost. You can replace the beer by adding active dry yeast.

• Add ½ cup of ammonia to the beer and watch the reaction. Ammonia provides a critical shot of nitrogen. It also helps speed up the breakdown of the compost material.

• Pour 2 gallons of warm water into the mixture and mix together.

• Add the 12 ounces of regular soda to the mixture. Soda contains extra sugars that help microbes to feed during the decomposition process.

• Pour the mixture into a garden sprayer.

• Spray this mixture into the compost pile. Using your shovel, mix the pile well to make sure the homemade compost catalyst gets to all corners.

• When the heat reaches the first peak temperature, it will kill the yeast, so apply the mix once again to your compost.

Pros and Cons of Using Homemade Compost Catalyst

Not everyone finds the need to make compost in 14 days. To some, it may seem too much work but to others, it’s interesting to make their compost process work faster by using a compost accelerator. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of accelerated decomposing.

Advantages

• You get ready compost in a few weeks – unlike the long process of allowing the pile to compose naturally.
• You get higher nutrient content due to less leaching in nutrients. The shorter the decomposing period, the more nutrients you preserve.
• You get fewer potential weeds and weed seeds – the quickened process that does not allow weeds to form.

Disadvantages

• You will use more effort. Unlike allowing nature to take its course, you will need to put in the effort to mix the compost.
• You will need more materials. You will need to invest in a little more than just the compost pile.

Conclusion

Life is a journey! And sometimes it takes twists and turns that we never expected. Sometimes it may end up taking us where we did not want to go. If you had the key to drive your own life the way you want, would you take it? Same here, you have the chance to cook up your compost pile within the shortest time possible and still get amazing results. Why not use it?

FAQ

What Is A Compost Accelerator?

A compost accelerator is a booster added to the compost pile to get speedy results for complete composting. It is also known as compost activators or compost starters. 

Compost accelerators comprise bacteria and fungi which will help kick start nature’s operation for the decomposition process.

How Long Does It Take For Compost To Break Down?

How long compost takes to break down is about 4 weeks to 12 months to break down. However, if you make use of a tumbler, your compost can break down quicker in a period of 3 weeks to 3 months. 

You should also take note that the rate at which compost will break down will depend on some factors. They are:

• Size: the size of your materials will determine if decomposition will be fast or slow. The smaller size breaks down more speedily than the bigger size. Thus, to enhance your compost to break down rapidly, chop and shred the materials into smaller sizes. Also, if you want to add things like food scraps, grass, dry leaves, etc to your compost, do so by cutting them into smaller bits. 
• Turning pile compost: when you turn your pile compost often encourages aeration. It will also enhance the movement of bigger bits towards the center where they are able to decompose faster. The use of a compost tumbler enhances this procedure. 
• Heat: heat will help speed up the decomposition process in the compost pile. 

Does A Compost Pile Need Sun?

If you want to speed up the decomposing process of your compost pile, placing them in the sun will do the job. The compost pile will need the sun to increase the temperature making the fungi and bacteria work faster. However, watering your compost pile once in a while under the full sun might be needed so it does not dry out. 

How Do You Know When Your Compost Is Ready?

If you are wondering how do you know when your compost is ready, these characteristics should help you out:

• Color: the color of your ready compost pile should be a dark rich color. 
• Texture: when your compost is ready, the texture should be smooth and friable. Most of the things you added to your compost should not be seen, they should all be smooth. There should also not be too much moisture in it.
• Scent: the smell of your readymade compost should be sweet like earth. There shouldn’t be any indication of sourness. If your compost smells sour, it’s a sign of an incomplete decomposition process meaning it needs more time to decompose. 

What Will Happen If You Left The Compost Too Long?

You might be wondering what will happen if you left the compost too long? Well, it’s still safe to make use of after years only if the moisture levels are well managed and covered in a dry place. 

However, little by little, the compost can begin to break down. The nutrients will start to leach away and the compost pile might begin to show signs of rotting. The fungus can also begin to pollute or contaminate the compost pile. 

Have you been warned of the risks of composting weeds and you don’t know if you can compost them? Weeding is a dreaded garden activity because it might be hard to get rid of these longlasting and resistant plants. Weeds are plants hard to pull, they give plenty of seeds and multiply everywhere. Sometimes weeds climb on other plants, and in some cases, they can even smother others to death by weight or in a parasitic relation. 

We find ourselves weeding through the garden every other day, but weeds keep popping up. We then find ourselves facing a new problem: what to do with the weeds we just pulled? Can you compost weeds?  

Can You Compost Weeds?

Weeds never die is a common saying, but what are weeds and why do they “never die”? 

Many say weeds shouldn’t be thrown into the compost bin. Weeds have very resistant seeds, that can remain alive even above 65°C (or 149°F). Most composts get to only 45-50°C (°F), because of many factors, such as:

• Small size, warm composts need to be at least 1m3 (27 ft³). 
• Not enough green organic matter was mixed in, in relation to the brown organic matter added. You can fix this lack of Nitrogen in the mix by adding more of the greens or even add some urine (with a concentrated and readily available nitrogen). 
• Not turning it over often enough. How often do you turn it over? Once a week or once a month?
• The climate where you keep the compost is too dry, too wet, or too cold. This can set back the decomposing process in your compost 

Composting of Weeds, how to succeed?

In order to succeed in composting weeds, the best thing to do is to observe the most common weeds in the location and learn how they look like in different life stages. Weed out as soon as you spot a weed in your garden, the sooner the better. 

Once it flowers, the plant will start producing seeds very quickly, and decomposing the weeds in the compost may not be enough to inactivate the seeds. When you fertilize your soil with the uncomposted weed’s seeds, they will eventually find the conditions to germinate, making it a never-ending process of weeding. 

Compost usually warms up, but in order to break the weeds seeds cycle, we must guarantee the heat to persist (above 65°C/ 149°F) during at least fifteen days in a row. 

The Quick Guide To Composting Weeds Successfully

• Make sure you build a big compost pile to ensure its proper warming process. The size of the compost container should be double the volume of the final compost you want to obtain. You may find very detailed instructions on how to build six different types of compost bins or containers and their optimum sizes in this article. 

• Cut organic matter into small pieces when possible.

• Add enough brown organic matter to balance recently trimmed weeds (green matter). One bucket of green organic matter and one bucket of brown organic matter -or a bit more- is a good volume relation (1:1).

• Keep the moisture content between 40 to 60%. The compost mix should feel moist to the touch.

• Add chopped up weeds that have not yet flowered.

• Turn the compost over frequently (at least twice a month).
• Most importantly: compost weeds before they get to flower. 

FAQs

Why Are Weeds Good For The Garden? 

The weeds of your garden have functions in the ecosystems.

1. Weeds are plants designed by Nature to regenerate soils. They like to grow especially in borders, eroded or poor soils, and besides trails and roads. 

2. Weeds are very resilient plants that prepare the soils for other more nutrient demanding plants in ecological succession. 

3. When soil is left bare or is turned around during tilling, seeds of weeds germinate easily and start their life mission: to hold the soil and nurture it. 

4. Weeds tend to be highly medicinal, nutritious, or can be extremely toxic. 

5. Many weeds have superpowers to absorb high quantities of certain minerals from the soil. Some of them are even used to regenerate heavily polluted soils (from contaminants such as oil, gasoline, and heavy metals).

6. Many animals develop a special relation to these kinds of plants and seek them for specific therapeutic results, including us humans.

7. They have accompanied humans during the ages and have a history of being related to witches, wizards, healers, and shamans all around the world. 

If you have more tips, leave in the comments what has worked for you when you compost weeds from your garden.

Go often to the house of thy friend,  for weeds soon choke up the unused path.

– Scandinavian proverb

Adding green to your abode makes it look much more invigorating than investing too much in unnecessary decorations that may make your house look superfluous. Growing healthy plants in your garden can only be made possible with healthy soil. Natural or organic fertilization with compost or manure is seen as a viable option for over-commercialized plant food, but which one is better for your garden soil, mushroom compost vs cow manure?

What is Compost?

Compost refers to organic materials that have been decomposed to provide nutrients to the soil during the growing season and at the same time, minimize food wastage. This step, called composting, is a relatively easy process to execute, assuming that you know which among the list is recommended for the process.

Although compost equates to minimizing food waste, particular things are highly discouraged to be part of the process like animals and milk products. Animal products take time to decompose; hence, they may serve as a breeding site for microbes, which invites diseases.

Therefore, it’s better to settle for plant and fruit products – mushroom compost, for example.

Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost makes a good conditioning product for your garden soil, as it is organic and easy to find. There is a variation in the growing process for mushrooms; therefore, their composting process may differ from one another.

You can buy mushroom spawn in the market or prepare it manually. A single bag of mushroom spawn is steam pasteurized to get rid of weeds that competes with your plants in absorbing nutrients from the soil and also to eradicate other harmful substances to your plants.

The entire duration for mushroom composting normally takes about three to four weeks, with the temperature closely monitored to complete the process. After it has been completed, the leftover compost is utilized as a soil fertilizer.

Read more about Will Mushroom Compost Burn Plants?

Advantages of Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost is capable of providing nutrients to your plants at an affordable rate. In addition, it also allows your soil to further increase its water-holding threshold – an advantage that minimizes its watering-need demands.

Most garden plants, may it be fruits, vegetables, or flowers, are compatible with mushroom compost. To further appreciate its effects, mix it thoroughly with the soil before use.

Disadvantages of Mushroom Compost

Although mushroom compost is an ideal organic matter to use, you should be aware of where and when to use it due to its high-salt level. Salt-sensitive plants like azaleas are not compatible with mushroom compost, while seedlings may also be affected by the high amount of salt.

Learn if Mushroom Compost Is Good for a Vegetable Garden

What is Manure?

Another form of fertilizer that can be used in producing healthy plants is animal manure (usually cow, chicken, or horse manure). This organic fertilizer is also capable of giving off nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to the soil.

The animal waste used in manure processing is a cost-effective process that doesn’t cause any pollution at all. Moreover, it’s also capable of killing weeds and pests that disrupt the growth of plants.

There are three different types of Manure: green manure, compost manure, and farmyard manure. All three come from different sources but primarily aim to provide nutrients to the soil for the plants to grow well. Among the excretion present, those from cows serve as the best ones for gardening.

Cow Manure 

As mentioned, cow manure serves as the most ideal dung for gardening. Cows eat mainly grass, so it’s not unusual to see grass and grain in their manure. Cow manure isn’t difficult to find, as there are several cows in the field that excretes from time to time.

Composting manure is highly beneficial to plants, as it serves as an excellent culture bed for seeds, due to its high nutrient content. Although it’s a good fertilizer, heavy manures, like those from cows, must be combined with light materials (hays, straws) or ash/lime.

Advantages of Cow Manure

Aside from providing a rich amount of nutrients from your crops and other forms of garden plants, it also increases the soil’s water-holding capacity – that means you won’t have to keep on watering your plant from time to time.

Another advantage of using cow manure is that it improves ventilation for your plants. Composting cow manure will also promote the growth of good bacteria in the soil. Good bacteria hasten the absorption of nutrients by breaking the aforementioned down into simpler forms.

Lastly, it’s also environmentally friendly, in a way that produces a small number of greenhouse gases.

Disadvantages of Cow Manure

Manure or waste may be beneficial for the soil, but it’s also considered a breeding site for bacteria like Escherichia coli, a pathogenic type of microbe. Aside from the presence of pathogenic bacteria in fresh cow manure, it also has a high concentration of ammonia that’s harmful to your plants.

To eradicate these problems, composting in the right way cow manure will kill most of the pathogens. Follow the steps mentioned here to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens in your vegetable gardens.

You can buy these mushroom and manure compost on Amazon:

• Espoma GM25 Organic 3-2-3 Chicken Manure- it is made in the United States and it is suitable for organic gardening.
• Michigan Peat Garden Magic Compost and Manure- a balanced blend of organic peat moss and composted animal manure, it is ideal for improving a wide range of planting soils.
• Mushroom Compost Organic Brands- this media contained wheat straw, fibrous peat, gypsum, dolomite, crushed feathers, cottonseed meal, peanut meal, and more. 

Mushroom Compost vs Cow Manure?

Conclusively, both products are excellent sources of nutrients for your soil. Soil applied to either of these products end up producing healthy plants. However, between both processes, going for mushroom compost is a better option due to its less tedious process.

Albeit, you can still opt for composting cow manure to completely enjoy its benefits for your plants. In the end, choosing based on availability and cost plays a major role on your part.

Read about Plants that Don’t Like Mushroom Compost 

Does Garden Soil Have Manure?

Your garden soil may contain manure. However, this is not commonly found in the ground unless previously added. Many gardeners prefer using other types of fertilizers and organic matter to improve their soil quality.

How Do You Make Mushroom Compost With Soil?

You can make mushroom compost with soil by using the following ingredients: 

• 35 – 40% soil
• 35 – 40% straw
• 35 – 40% animal manure (preferably horse)
• Water

Instructions:

1. Use a pitchfork or shovel to mix the straw and manure in a wheelbarrow or other large container.
2. Add a layer of soil, and mix it well. 
3. Moisten the mixture but ensure it is not soggy. 
4. Spread the mixture out evenly in a flat layer on the ground. 
5. Keep the mixture moist as it begins to break down and decompose.

Note: The manure provides the fungi with the nutrients they need to grow. The soil provides structure to the compost and serves as a bacteria and microorganism source to help break down the organic matter. 

Over time, the compost will become a rich, dark brown material. This will make it the perfect environment for growing mushrooms. 

What is The pH of Mushroom Compost?

The pH of mushroom compost varies. It is influenced by the ingredients used to make it and the stage of decomposition it is in. Generally, mushroom compost tends to have a slightly acidic pH. This can range from 6.0 to 7.0. Most mushrooms prefer this range. 

What Vegetables Like Mushroom Compost?

Mushroom compost is rich in nutrients and organic matter. Many vegetables can benefit when growing in this. Some may even prefer it and yield better results! If you have mushroom compost, you can use it to grow:

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Eggplants
• Squash
• Cucumbers
• Beans

Mushroom compost makes a great addition to most food gardens. However, if you’re growing berries, it’s best to plant them elsewhere. 

What Flowers Like Mushroom Compost?

Almost any type of flower can benefit from mushroom compost. Most types contain phosphate, potash, calcium, magnesium, and iron. Plants that enjoy these nutrients include roses, lilies, marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers. 

Plants that don’t like mushroom compost prefer less acidic soil. If you have azaleas, gardenias, ferns, or zinnias, it’s best to keep your mushroom compost away. 

What Do Mushrooms in Soil Mean?

If you see mushrooms popping up, it means there’s an underlying fungal network present in your soil. This network is called mycelium, and it appears when soil conditions are optimal for fungi reproduction. 

Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of mycelium. If your soil is moist and warm, and there is a source of organic matter for fungi to feed on, you’ll likely see them. Fungi play an essential role in breaking down organic matter and releasing nutrients into the soil. If you have mushrooms in your garden, it can be a sign of a healthy ecosystem. 

What Edible Mushrooms Grow on Manure?

Eating the wrong mushroom can be fatal. If you see mushrooms growing in your garden, you need to be sure they’re edible before you take a bite. Many edible mushrooms grow on manure, so you’re in luck if you want to start producing your own. You can try growing shiitake, oyster, and enoki mushrooms on a mixture of straw and animal manure. 

If you’re after more flavor and texture, you can grow morels or chanterelles. These grow in manure too. Mushrooms can grow in various environments and climates. You can use more than manure if you want to explore other growing substrates. 

Conclusion

Having plants in your home provides excellent vibrancy in the surroundings than overly decorating your house with unnecessary objects. To produce healthy-looking plants, mixing your soil with mushroom compost or cow manure is one of the ideal steps to consider. Both materials enrich your plant with enough nutrients to keep your plants healthy and increase water-holding capacity.

Both mushroom compost vs cow manure has their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it’s all up to you what to choose based on the availability and budget.

FAQ’s

Where to buy mushroom compost?

If you don’t have space for composting or if your mushroom compost is not fully done, buying is a great option. So where do you buy mushroom compost? You can buy mushroom compost from all local home and garden stores.

You can as well buy mushroom compost online. 

Can you put fresh cow manure in your garden?

There are lots of benefits to applying cow manure in your garden. However, putting fresh cow manure in your garden is not advisable. Now some fresh manure can have some bad bacteria (e.g. E. coli) which can cause harm to humans when you consume the resulting plant. Bacteria that can be detrimental to your plants can be introduced by applying fresh cow manure. 

Also, weed seeds can be introduced to your garden because the digestive tract of a cow cannot break down seeds. Therefore, fresh cow manure can contain weed seeds capable of invading your garden. 

Raw cow manure is well comprised of a high amount of ammonium, nitrogen, and salts and these can burn your plants. 

This is why we recommend you hot compost your fresh cow manure before applying them in your garden. This way, harmful bacteria, and seed weeds neutralize too much nitrogen, ammonium, and salt. Therefore, your compost manure pile will produce healthy and safe plants.

We suggest you compost your fresh cow manure for a minimum of 15 days at a regular temperature of 131 Fahrenheit. Also, turn your compost constantly so all the manure attains the right temperatures. 

What is the best compost for vegetable gardens? Mushroom compost or cow manure

In regards to fertilizing your vegetable table, there are usually numerous options. The best out of these numerous options are compost and manure. Nevertheless, between mushroom compost and cow manure you might be wondering which is better. 

Our recommendation for the best compost for vegetable gardens is mushroom compost. Both mushrooms and cow manure are great. But cow manure is usually not recommended for edible crops such as vegetables as there is the chance of disease transmission to humans e.g. E. coli.

However, if you must use cow manure, hot compost them well. Also, apply them to your soil at least 3 or 4 months before you plant vegetable gardens. 

What is mushroom compost not good for?

Mushroom compost is not good for fruit crops that need an acidic medium. This is because most finished compost is neutral. It is also not suitable for lawn top-dresser only if the soil is already acidic. 

Mushroom compost is as well not suitable to be used as potting mix components. 

Can too much compost hurt plants?

Even though compost is a slow-releasing nutrient, too much compost can be detrimental to your soil as well as your plants. It can suffocate and even kill your plants. 

Take for example nitrogen and phosphorous. They are some of the components in compost. Nitrogen is assimilated fast and rain can easily wash them away. Also, nitrogen is easily converted to N2 and N2O gases that escape through the air.

However, phosphorous are assimilated gradually. It can’t be easily washed away by rain or converted. Therefore, excess phosphorous build up in the soil where it can reach a toxic level.