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| Used coffee granules http://weetrees.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16719 |
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| Author: | StephenH [ 21 Jul 2017, 10:59 ] |
| Post subject: | Used coffee granules |
Hi all, when I lived abroad, we had a garden that was in quite a state when we moved in of particular note was a desperate looking rose bush and a tree (apparently hadn't produced leaves for 2 years). Anyway, fast forward 12 months and the rose bush was back to fine health and the tree was looking great, good growth and loads of buds. I had done a fair bit of research and as a result, I added used coffee grinds from a local coffee shop across the bed and all of the plants, bushes and the tree looked much better for it. So, has anyone else heard of this and, more to the point, have you tried it with your trees? S |
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| Author: | Brendan [ 21 Jul 2017, 11:24 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Used coffee granules |
I'd be cautious. Looked it up myself as we use those pods. Found this online: "I’d just dump my daily coffee grounds on the surface as a mulch once they had cooled (the way books and blogs suggest), creating a beautiful dark inch-thick layer of coffee compost by the end of the summer. The growth of pretty much everything in the coffee bed became noticeably worse in about two weeks. And the results? Well, here’s the deal. The crop yield and growth of pretty much everything in the coffee bed became noticeably worse within about two weeks of application. Plant growth slowed, some developed leaf yellowing, others defoliated and died. Seedling germination in some cases was almost completely inhibited. While some species looked OK, none of the plants in the coffee group proved better than my basic control. But it’s just adding organic matter. What went wrong? So I had a look at the scientific literature, and frankly I kicked myself. Coffee grounds are of course a rich source of caffeine – in fact they can be richer than coffee itself, depending on brewing technique. One of the key functions of caffeine in the plants that produce it is allelopathy – the ability to reduce competition from surrounding species by suppressing their growth. Caffeine is packed into coffee seeds for the very function of suppressing the germination of other seeds. There is a stack of studies to suggest it also stalls root growth in young plants, preventing their uptake of water and nutrients. Yet others have shown it has antibacterial effects (so much for boosting soil bacteria). And guess what? It isn’t even always very acidic. OK, its effects have varied widely depending on plant species, but it’s never shown colossal benefits that could outweigh the risks. I love a quirky piece of hort advice, and some are repeated so often you assume they are true, but often they call them old wives’ tales for a reason. Email James at james.wong@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @Botanygeek" |
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| Author: | StephenH [ 21 Jul 2017, 17:49 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Used coffee granules |
Interesting, as he says it could be to do with the plants etc. I didn't plant anything new and applied it directly into the soil rather compost. Could have been something to do with the soil as well, where I was the mix was more sandy than anything else, plants could have been dry as a bone and the attention was what helped more than the coffee! Anyway, I won't let it stop me from enjoying a brew but I won't share it with the trees! Thanks Brendan |
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| Author: | Will [ 21 Jul 2017, 19:42 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Used coffee granules |
I'm thinking one of you guys is using Proper Coffee as opposed to the pods is it just pure coffee in the Pods? Because i like "proper coffee" and these pods taste different to me so who knows Maybe......... what do you guys recon? |
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| Author: | Betula [ 22 Jul 2017, 06:31 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Used coffee granules |
Hi folks for what its worth for 2 years Ive been tipping used coffee grounds as a mulch around fuchsia and ferns in the ground by my kitchen door and their growth is now phenomenal!! I wouldnt risk using it on my bonsai though ...... obviously!! |
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| Author: | StephenH [ 24 Jul 2017, 10:39 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Used coffee granules |
I used proper coffee rather than pods, the coffee shop owner was happy to give me a large bag at the end of the day. I wouldn't know where to start in terms of ratio to soil, I just scattered it across the beds, turned the soil and watered. The soil was pretty sandy where we were, as I said above, it took loads of work when we arrived but at least it was a great way to meet the neighbours! Good to hear Betula, I wish I had taken some before and after pictures. |
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