COFFEE grounds don’t belong in the trash, they belong in your garden.
Packed with nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium, they can work wonders for vegetables, turf, and landscape plants.
Used coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags can boost the growth of vegetables (stock)[/caption]
Gardeners are discovering coffee grounds as a simple way to boost soil health while reducing waste (stock)[/caption]
Even some houseplants like African violets, peace lilies, pothos, Christmas cactus, and philodendrons benefit (stock)[/caption]
In Florida’s Space Coast, where hot weather lingers through September, experts say the morning and evening hours are best for yard work.
Used grounds benefit many plants, from vegetables to acid-loving species and even some houseplants.
In Brevard County, Florida, gardeners are discovering coffee grounds as a simple way to boost soil health while reducing waste.
Acid-loving plants thrive with a touch of coffee.
Blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, camellias, gardenias, and roses all respond well.
Veggies and fruits also enjoy the nitrogen boost from grounds.
Carrots, radishes, potatoes, strawberries, and leafy greens like kale and spinach can flourish.
Even some houseplants like African violets, peace lilies, pothos, Christmas cactus, and philodendrons benefit.
But not all plants like coffee.
Geraniums and asparagus ferns do poorly with it, though ferns being invasive, gardeners may still spread grounds around them.
Compost or charged biochar can also be scattered in the yard to enrich soil.
September is also the last call for poinsettia pruning this year.
Herbs to plant this month include chives, fennel, garlic chives, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme, mint, oregano, and rosemary.
Vegetables ready for planting in September include arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, kale, lettuce, mustard, onions, peppers, radish, spinach, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and turnips.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.
Gardeners are advised to add earthworm castings and granular mycorrhizal mixtures to planting holes.
Beans and peas should be treated with Rhizobium leguminosarum bacteria before planting.
Some seeds sown in September can be grown as transplants for October, including arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.
The county’s fertilizer ban remains in effect throughout September.
Fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus should be avoided.
The ban lifts October 1, at which point gardeners can apply nitrogen fertilizers early in the month.
Organic fertilizers are recommended to protect soil and the Indian River Lagoon.
Following these tips and recycling coffee grounds can improve garden yields and reduce waste this month.
