Sacramento community gardens host free soil workshops

Gardening success starts with soil – but what’s the difference between barren dirt and rich loam?

Find out during free July workshops hosted by the City of Sacramento’s Community Garden Program.

“Let’s Talk Dirt” will cover the basics of healthy soil and how gardeners can make the most of this basic building block. The workshop is free and open to the public; no advance registration is necessary.

“Let’s Talk Dirt” will be presented four times in July at four different Sacramento locations:

8 a.m. Saturday, July 5: Blackbird Park Community Garden, 3765 Hovnanian Drive;

8 a.m. July 12: Brooks Truitt Community Garden, 1818 Q St.;

12:30 p.m. July 12: Marisol Community Garden, 601 Pipevine St.

12:30 p.m. July 19: Elmhurst-Medical Center Community Garden, 2375 49th St.

“Join us for a series of enriching classes delving into the fascinating world of soil and soil health in our community garden program,” say the organizers. “Let’s explore the secrets beneath the ground together.”

Topics will include: soil types; soil amendments; finding pH; and commonly asked soil questions.

William Fredericksen, Sacramento’s community garden coordinator, is slated to lead the discussion. He’s also the person to contact with any questions. Email him at communitygardens@cityofsacramento.org.