The Science of Compost: How to Create “Super Soil”

Name: The Science of Compost: How to Create “Super Soil”
Start: 2026-03-18T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-03-18T19:30:00-05:00
Location: Columbia Public Library

Schedule

Wed Mar 18 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Columbia Public Library | Columbia, MO

Backyard composters, gardeners, and plant enthusiasts will find lots to take away from this presentation focused on the science behind why compost is key to soil health. Good compost unlocks soil nutrients, helps fight soil-borne pests and plant diseases, and enhances water conservation–and diverts organics from our landfills.
Brenda Peculis, a City of Columbia Compost Ambassador and Master Naturalist, will 'dig' into the micro-organisms and thermal phases that produce this essential soil amendment, and how we can optimize the process with this knowledge. In addition, she will address the microbes and unique / specialized microenvironment that allows Bokashi - fermentation/composting to yield the microbial-enriched building blocks that can yield soil-building compost in about 4 weeks!
Brenda Peculis is an emeritus faculty member with the University of Missouri Department of Biochemistry. She loves to lead composting workshops, in part because she appreciates the biology and biochemistry of compost.