UK Gardeners Urged Not To Throw Out Common Food Waste Item

Last week we were giving out heatwave-friendly gardening tips – this week, the weather’s cooled right down (though signs of rain are absent). Still, your lawn may be feeling a little dehydrated, which is why tests like checking how long the imprint of your footprint lasts on the grass might be a good idea at the moment. This shift in temperature and unusually dry weather can be especially damaging to tender new shoots said David Denyer, flower and garden expert at Eflorist.He added: “To help plants hold onto moisture for longer, especially young or newly planted ones, try adding a layer of mulch. It keeps the soil temperature more stable and slows down evaporation.”If you don’t have any mulch to hand, there’s another protective ingredient you could use, according to former royal gardener Jack Stooks.Coffee grounds make amazing compost and can form an instant mulchStooks, who has paired with Coffee Friend, said coffee grounds can supercharge your compost heap just as much as they do your AM energy levels.“They are great to use in compost, they break down well and add to the mix, so that’s definitely something worth doing,” he said.But you don’t have to wait months for the “black gold” if you don’t want to – you can make an instant sort-of mulch with the waste product, too. “You can also add them directly to garden beds. If you’re producing a lot of grounds, they can even act a bit like a mulch and get worked into the soil,” Stooks advised (Gardeners’ World likes the application too). Still, the former royal gardener said, there are some popular uses for the waste product he doesn’t think are as clever as they seem. “There’s been some suggestion that coffee might act as a deterrent, especially for squirrels,” he said.“But that just sounds quite messy to me. If you put instant coffee on a bird feeder, the moment it rains, it’s going to turn into a sticky, mucky mess.”Is there anywhere you shouldn’t put coffee grounds?Yes. Stooks told us that because coffee is acidic, its grounds aren’t suitable for all parts of your garden. “Specifically, you want to use it around ericaceous plants – things like rhododendrons, azaleas, and hydrangeas,” he said.“These types of plants prefer acidic soil, so they’ll tolerate the coffee grounds well.”However, the ingredient is “not ideal” for other parts of your backyard. “You don’t really want to go overboard using coffee grounds on plants that don’t like acidic conditions. Most garden soil can handle small amounts just fine, but if you’re applying large quantities, definitely stick to acid-loving plants. Otherwise, you’re better off disposing of the grounds in the compost,” Stooks said.“In short, if you are unsure about the plant, the safest way to use it in the garden is in compost. It’s reliable, it helps the composting process, and you don’t have to worry about it affecting plant health in unintended ways.”Related...6 May Gardening Jobs Every UK Gardener Should Start NowUK Gardeners Urged To Check For Yellow Patches On GrassUK Gardeners Warned To Check For Footprints On Their Lawn

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