|
| Greetings to all from Mississippi!
I'm wondering who might have added coffee grounds to hosta beds. Have heard pros and cons and wanted to hear from this group.....yes...no...good....bad...indifferent? I have been adding but use single cups and it's time consuming so am wondering if it's worth it! I'm taking down the Christmas tree and waiting for it to warm up to our predicted high of 57 to get out in the yard.....spent several hours out yesterday cleaning up and blowing leaves. I know they need to have snow cover and deep sleep but it is fun to be gardening the end of Dec! Hope everyone had a wondeful Christmas and is looking forward to a great new year! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by steve_mass 5b (My Page) on Thu, Dec 29, 11 at 12:54
| I don't put used coffee grounds in my beds, but I do use them in my composting. They provide lots of nitrogen and a bucket of them (free from your local Starbucks) will really heat up a compost pile. Others do put grounds directly on beds and I'm sure they provide nitrogen there also as they break down. There is some evidence that the caffeine in UCG repels slugs. In fact there is a product for sale in the UK that uses caffeine in this way. The problem is that the caffeine leaches out of the used grounds fairly quickly, so you would have to "recharge" the grounds regularly with left over coffee or new UCG. This could be somewhat labor intensive in a large garden. All in all, UCG like any organic matter will not hurt your plants and will likely help them over time. Steve |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Thu, Dec 29, 11 at 13:59
| indifferent.. its compost.. so nothing wrong with it ... the way you are doing it can not change pH ... just save an empty coffee can.. and save it for a few days.. in between trips outside ... did steve really mean this: that the caffeine in UCG repels slugs .. i could see it irritating the skin of a slug ... and perhaps increasing effect of the chem that kills them.. but how would caffeine 'repel' them ...???? .. what .. they smell coffee and run for the hills ... lol [do they have noses???] ... ken |
|
- Posted by steve_mass 5b (My Page) on Thu, Dec 29, 11 at 19:34
| From the site Eartheasy.com A study in June 2002 reported in the journal Nature found that slugs and snails are killed when sprayed with a caffeine solution, and that spraying plants with this solution prevents slugs from eating them. The percentage of caffeine required in a spray (1 - 2%) is greater than what is found in a cup of coffee (.05 - 07%), so homemade sprays are not as effective. Look for new commercial sprays which are caffeine-based. There is a spray for sale in the UK that does this. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Earth Easy - Natural Slug Control
|
- Posted by tomahawkclaim (My Page) on Fri, Dec 30, 11 at 6:47
| Years ago someone in my garden club reported a way to use coffee grounds to prevent slugs. The complication is that you have to roast the used coffee grounds on a cookie sheet to completely dry them and make them brittle and sharp; if you don't roast them, they mold. Supposedly, slugs wouldn't climb over the sharp, dry coffee grounds. I tried it, but way too much work. Instead I compost it. N |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Fri, Dec 30, 11 at 8:55
| so it says... probably dont hear this enough at home.. steve was right ... lol regardless.. i dont buy it ... lol ... thx for the link ken |
|
- Posted by tsugajunkie z5 SE WI (My Page) on Fri, Dec 30, 11 at 17:00
| I use them (UCGs from Starbucks), I don't re-roast them, they keep slugs at bay for about a month (depending on rainfall) and they feed the soil. tj |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Hosta Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.