Joan Irwin on Composting and Vermiculture

Compost is a symbol of continuing life.  Plants, animals, insects and people are all inextricably linked in a complex web of inter-relationships with air, water, soil, minerals, and other natural resources which play vital roles in maintaining nutrients and ultimately, life on earth.  The compost heap in your garden is an intentional replication of the natural process of birth and death that occurs almost everywhere in nature.  Composting is the oldest and most universally practiced form of soil treatment in the world.  Tending the soil is the single most important task of the gardener because the productive success of any garden depends on the health of the soil.

Joan Irwin, a Marin Master Gardener, is a respected authority on both composting and vermiculture.   She is sought after to give talks on both these subjects by libraries, schools, garden clubs and other community organizations throughout Marin County.   She was a popular, well received and informative speaker at the Growing Gardeners series in Point Reyes a couple of years ago.  

As Joan says, the real work of composting is done by millions of tiny critters, some visible to us, some not.  All we have to do is keep those critters happy.  Joan will present the basics and advantages/disadvantages of pit composting, her favorite method, bin or pile composting and vermiculture.  Come find out how to enhance the health of your soil and make your garden shine!