AboutThe Long Island Gardener Expertise Do you know the wrong fertilizer will keep your plants from blooming?
Do you know that too much Nitrogen can kill your grass, even if it does not burn the roots? Do you know that Roses need a LOT of Nitrogen to bloom -- and why is that?
There's some complex chemistry in those plant foods. The secrets behind N-P-K are the key to the ultimate lawn, the the biggest flowers, the most fruits and vegetables. And if you don't get it right, you could be sorry.
I'll show you what you did wrong, and how to fix it.
Experience Homeowner with gardens indoors and outdoors, lawns back and forth. I wrote my first gardening column for our college newspaper, teaching roomates about the right way to feed those windowsills gardens. Today I look for challenges. Organic Fertilizers are the key to proper feeding of all our plants. Can you make your own fertilizer? Some people think so -- but there are side effects. I have been there, done that for 54 years and there is nothing like the voice of experience when it comes to Horticulture and Fertilizers.
Publications Numerous and sundry but only in college did I write about plants.
Education/Credentials B.A., Botany and Mass Communications.
Expert: The Long Island Gardener Date: 5/31/2008 Subject: what is the best use of used coffee grounds
Question I understand that used coffee grounds act as an good fertilizer---but for what and how do you apply.
Answer I sure do hope you like coffee, Richard.
Because Earthworms LOVE Coffee grounds.
I'm not kidding.
I know what you're thinking. Coffee is acidic. People who want to grow Blue Hydrangeas and Blueberries are advised to use Coffee Grounds to get their soil pH wayyyyy down.
But that's not really true, Richard. The pH of a cup of Starbucks Ethiopian Black Coffee is around 6.3. The Coffee GROUNDS are close to neutral, with a pH around 6.7.
Neutral pH is 7.
How? Popular science says that the Coffee leaches out of the used grounds and most of the acid goes with it. Whatever. 6.7 is a grass-happy pH.
Starbucks gives these grounds away for FREE!
Take a garbage pail down to your local friendly Starbucks and get their day's supply of grounds. They'll be glad to see you. Less work for them. And very pro-Earth. Good for business. Great for conditioning your Soil. Lots of vitamins and minerals in VERY slow release form. And although you did not mention it, for the record let's point out slugs won't cross a line made of this stuff.
