What is dark, gritty or powdery and good for your garden? Hint: It’s natural fertilizer for all of your trees, shrubs and plants…I am talking about used coffee grounds and wood ash from your fireplace.
As you know, there are acid and alkaline loving plants and shrubs. Let your household create natural fertilizer for both:
Acid loving plants like boxwood shrubs, tomato plants, roses and azaleas love the phosphorus, potassium and low-level nitrogen and other trace elements still contained in used coffee grounds.
Alkaline loving plants love wood ashes. Stop spreading wood ash once the growing season begins and be careful with young plants as the lye in ash can burn their roots. Wood ash is a great way to amend heavy clay soil. It breaks up the soil and allow for more air into the soil. Simply dust your soil – don’t overdue it!
Some folks recommend putting the coffee grounds into water. I say, simply sprinkle the grounds around the base of the plant/shrub of acid loving plants as a soil amendment and let nature do the watering for you.
Are rabbits nibbling on your plants? Throw a little wood ash around the plant. It will keep rabbits, slugs and other unwanted critters away!
Have a compost or leaf pile? Compost and leaf piles tend to be acid. Wood ash is a great way to balance ph-levels and break down leaf piles more rapidly. Still not convinced? Is your open compost pile a bit smelly? Wood ash to the rescue! It will reduce the smell considerably and make you a believer of the power left in wood ash!
