Charlotte On The Cheap

Mecklenburg County Master Composters are offering free classes at South County Regional Library, 5801 Rea Road, in March and April. These classes, held on Thursdays, from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, focus on natural and organic gardening, composting, and waste reduction.

For more information and registration, contact the library at 704-416-6600.

March 8: Bokashi Composting & Deep Mulch Gardening / Anna Brown
Learn the Bokashi method of composting. This easy method allows you to compost ALL food scraps. Also during this session, you will learn how to use leaves to create a deep mulch gardening system that eliminates tilling, weeding, watering, and is a constant source of nutrients for your growing plants.

March 22: Vermicomposting: Red Wiggles Are Your Best Compost Friends / Lino Scala
Composting with worms is easy, requires very few supplies, and can be done by anyone. In this hands on demo, learn to turn a simple box or container into a fine worm bin that keeps worms and decomposing food scraps in one area. Composting worms require very little attention, do not get sick, and don’t mind if you go on vacation. In addition, these worms are voracious eaters that are extremely happy to spend the day eating organic waste, excreting worm castings and making more worms, providing you with high quality compost!

April 12: Companion Planting / Janet Burlee
Companion planting is the planting of different landscaping plants, or agricultural crops in close proximity on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination and other factors necessary to increasing productivity. During this session, you’ll learn about various companion planting systems, how these approaches can enhance flavors, provide pest control, and be a cornerstone of organic gardening. Do you plant tomatoes — make sure there’s some basil nearby! Garlic and roses? Cucumbers and corn? Petunias and beans? Even pansy and fruit trees. Companion planting will help you look at your plant and vegetable gardens in a whole new and exciting way!

April 26: Creating the Healthy Earth Happy Lawn / Geoffrey Huntley
Learn to balance growing a lush and healthy lawn with your commitment to being environmentally conscious. From fertilizers to soil-balancing agents, these tips are designed to leave the Earth a little bit better than you found it.

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