Living Soils: May 1st at Garden Club

When you consider what is living in your garden, you may think of plants, worms, or ground beetles. Or possibly pests like gophers, slugs, and aphids. Let’s go deeper than that.

On Tuesday, May 1, Cottage Grove Garden Club will host Melissa Fery from the OSU Extension Service to talk about "Living Soils: Microorganisms and Soil Health." Melissa will discuss the life teeming beneath the soil's surface—the amazing microorganisms that help create a healthy soil which is fundamental for growing plants. Soil microbiology play important roles in nutrient cycling and the quality of our soil. While often unnoticed, there are millions to billions of microorganisms in a single gram of soil. Melissa will help us to fully appreciate bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, and other soil microbiology. She will also discuss ways to manage our soils to maintain healthy, biodiverse gardens.

About our speaker: Melissa Fery learned to enjoy gardening from her mom when growing up near Cottage Grove. After graduating from CGHS, she earned degrees in Crop Science and Environmental Soil Science at Oregon State University. Since 1998 Melissa has been working with Oregon’s diverse agriculture industry and has spent the last 13 years serving as a Small Farms Extension Agent with the OSU Extension Service. Melissa has also been enthusiastically supporting South Lane schools with farm and school garden educational experiences. She is in a happy place when kids are excited about soil, bugs, plants, and the natural world around them.

Please join Cottage Grove Garden Club May 1st at the First Presbyterian Church, 216 South 3rd Street. Our informal business meeting begins at 6pm, and we start learning about microorganisms and soil health at 7pm.

Next Month: Water Gardens with Faye Forhan on Tuesday June 5.