If you want to save some money, forget pricey fertilizer for your garden and start looking at your food and yard waste to provide rich nutrients for the soil.
The Robinson Nature Center in Columbia will host a Master Gardeners composting demonstration in October. Composting reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfills, says Meagan Downey, programs manager at the center. And landfills, she points out, eventually fill up. “By keeping that waste out of the landfill you are helping to make sure less land has to be used for waste.”
The Robinson center, which has partnered with Master Gardeners for several years, features a demonstration site with a range of compost bins including those made of fabric, part of a wooden platform, and a tumbler that can be manually cranked to mix compost. Those who attend the session will receive a free fabric bin.
Seeing the composting equipment in person helps people decide what will work for them, Downey says.
The Master Gardeners go over various types of waste and discuss what can go into compost. The program, Downey says, is designed to put people’s composting jitters to rest. “If you have any fears or concerns,” she says, the experts on hand will fill you in. “You can talk to someone who has already done it.”
Backyard Comoposting will be held on October 6 at the Robinson Nature Center, 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. @robinsonnaturecenter.
