Soils And Compost

UC Master Gardeners of Orange County: Document

Compost Troubleshooting Guide

Whether you're an experienced home composter or just getting started, this guide provides essential troubleshooting support for common composting challenges. When your compost pile isn't performing as expected, understanding the underlying causes and correction methods will help you restore proper balance…
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Fava Beans are a useful cover crop, and their leaves can be sauteed like any other edible green. J. Alosi
The Real Dirt: Article

Meeting Nature Halfway: Sustainable Gardening

August 5, 2025
Imagine a healthy garden that grows, blooms, and produces food for you, your family and your neighbors, a garden that costs you very little money because everything it needs is already provided. Welcome to the sustainable garden! The Cambridge Dictionary defines sustainable as “causing little or no damage to…
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UC Master Gardeners of Orange County: Page

Vermicomposting & Vermiculture - Orange County

About two-thirds of the waste stream is made up of organic materials, including paper and food waste. While paper can often be recycled, food waste has fewer useful disposal options besides composting. One effective method is vermicomposting, which uses worms to recycle kitchen scraps.  This method…
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Preserved peach products for workshop attendees to sample. Briana Swanson
The Real Dirt: Article

St. Timothy's Community Garden in Gridley

May 27, 2025
Among community gardens in Butte County, The Garden at St. Timothy’s in Gridley is notable for offering people a full-circle experience, from growing, gleaning, and preserving food, to composting food waste.
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UC Master Gardeners of Amador County: Article

Press Release: New Green Waste and Food Scrap Drop Off Site for Amador County Residents

May 21, 2025
By Carletta Amatisto-Smith
County encourages residents to compost household organic wasteJackson, CA- In an effort to support California’s greenhouse gas emission goals and comply with Senate Bill 1383, Amador County is proud to announce the opening of a new compost collection center in Jackson. The Community Compost Site at Mother…
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Red worm. Jeanette Alosi
The Real Dirt: Article

Worms in the Garden

April 29, 2025
Two of the most common earthworms found in our area are redworms and nightcrawlers.  Redworms (eisenia foetida, also known as red wiggler worms) are shallow dwellers, living in the top 12 inches of the soil.  These are the worms most commonly used for vermicomposting, a method of creating rich garden compost…
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