Free Urban Composting Workshop

• When: Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
• Where: Historical Society of Washington, DC - 801 K St. NW at Mt. Vernon Square
• Cost: Admission Free

Can Compost Save Planet Earth?

Don't blow those leaves out to the curb! Turn them into compost! Recycling food scraps and other organic matter has become symbolic of the modern green movement as one thing we can do to nourish the planet. For centuries, gardeners have known the many benefits compost brings to the soil: increased fertility, better drainage and water retention, a buffer for pH. Now we are learning that an ample supply of organic matter is critical to support soil microbes, so important for plant health.

City dwellers generate huge amounts of organic scraps, but turning them into compost - rather than sending them to the landfill - presents special challenges. Not everyone has a back yard with room for a big compost heap. Still, there's more than one way to get those carrot peels, apple cores and grass clippings back into the soil where they belong. Ed Bruske, Master Gardener and past-president of D.C. Urban Gardeners, shows how composting works and demonstrates a variety of strategies for composting in an urban setting. He'll explain different types of tumblers, why pests and odors needn't be a problem and how even apartment dwellers can start composting with their own colony of worms.

Ed Bruske frequently writes about composting on his blog, The Slow Cook (www.theslowcook.com). This presentation is given in collaboration with D.C. Urban Gardeners. (13 to Adults)

RSVP@historydc.org or 202-383-1828 FREE
Part of the Urban Gardening Series.