Veteran Master Gardener Muriel Nesbitt will explain how to maximize the health of home garden plants while avoiding harm to the environment at noon Thursday, July 12, 2018, county commissioners’ meeting room at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.

This presentation is part of the Green Thumb Garden Tips; education series, sponsored by the WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners.

Nesbitt will discuss the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in soil and explain what NPK numbers of fertilizer mean.

She will explain how to interpret the results of a soil test, what fertilizers to choose, and how to calculate how much to apply. She will also describe the differences between synthetic and organic fertilizers, and the meaning of the Organic Materials Review Institute designation.

She will present the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium contents of several widely used organic fertilizers.

Nesbitt, who earned a PhD in genetics from the University of Washington, retired from teaching biology at the University of California San Diego. She directed the Clallam County Master Gardener program from 2009-2012. She is a frequent speaker on sustainable growing and instructor for the Master Gardener intern training.

The Master Gardener Green Thumb Garden Tips education series continues on the second and fourth Thursday of each month from noon-1 p.m.

For more information, call 360-565-2679.