Soil, sun and water—everyone knows the basics of what plants need to grow. But the nutrients in the soil are extremely important to thriving plants, particularly nitrogen. Join Clallam County Master Gardener Bob Cain for the Green Thumb Education Series presentation “Nitrogen in the Garden” and discover why this nutrient is vital to make your garden grow.

The Green Thumb Education Series presentation “Nitrogen in the Garden” will be held in person and via Zoom on:

Thursday, March 9th from noon – 1:00 p.m. at the:

Clallam County Courthouse Commissioners’ Room located at 223 E 4th Street in Port Angeles.

You may join via Zoom from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android:

Click here for a direct link to the Zoom Presentation

Or join by phone: 253-215-8782

Meeting ID: 936 2989 8830

Passcode: 676224

Nitrogen is a macronutrient—a nutrient that is essential to overall plant health—and along with phosphorus and potassium, it is critical for plant development. “Nitrogen is all around us yet only a very few specialized life-forms can use it directly,” Bob said.

“Most forms of life need nitrogen to produce the amino acids, proteins and genetic material for their everyday needs so there must be a trick in getting it from the air and into our bodies. It’s all part of the nitrogen cycle in nature which we will talk about in detail,” he said.

Bob will discuss why nitrogen is so important and how different organisms collaborate to produce nitrogen in a usable form for plants. He will also discuss nitrogen fertilizers, both synthetic and organic, outlining the pros and cons of each group, and will touch on alternative methods to supplement nitrogen in garden soil.

“Hopefully, this presentation will give you a better understanding of how complex yet how necessary the soil ecosystem is to our wellbeing,” he said.

Bob earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biology and chemistry and has a Ph.D. in chemistry. He has 40 years of experience growing vegetables in Scotland, Ireland, Colorado and Washington. Bob is a veteran of the Clallam County Master Gardeners since 2009. He has written monthly articles on plant disease for the Clallam County Master Gardener Newsletter and is a frequent contributor to gardening columns in the local newspaper. Bob has been celebrated as the 2009 Master Gardener Intern of the Year and 2011 Master Gardener of the Year. He served as the Garden Manager of the Woodcock Demonstration Garden in Sequim for seven years and is a past President and Board member of the Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County.

The Green Thumb Education Series, sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, is held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month through October. In November, December, and January, one lecture is offered. Scheduled presentations are subject to change. Visit the WSU Extension Clallam County website calendar for the latest information on upcoming presentations. For questions, call 360-565-2678.