Effects of Compost On Major Nutrients in An Urban Cecil Soil.

Composting is an effective method to improve the fertility of degraded soils. This study compared major soil nutrients (C, N, P, and K levels) measured in samples collected from a residential plot in Clemson, SC.  The dominant soil type present was an eroded Cecil sandy loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic, Typic Kanhapludults), and the collected samples represented the following treatment conditions: compost pile, garden, front lawn, back yard lawn, and non-vegetated control.  Tissues of leaf detritus were also analyzed to better understand the nutrient contribution to the soil from leaves. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the treatment means for each soil nutrient measured.  In all cases, the different treatments had significantly different levels of nutrients based on Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) (p<0.05).  Our results show that composting can be a significant source for major soil nutrients. Leaf detritus is also a significant source of C and N. Utilization of compost and leaf detritus should be beneficial for improving degraded soil in urban environments.