rwalizer Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I'm a novice vegetable gardener and I have heard of people doing this. Also, I have heard of sprinkling crushed egg shells around the plants. Is this really going to help my tomatoes, green beans and water melon? Or are these old wives tales? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 We put it in our compost. I believe it adds nutrients to the soil. I can't remember which one though:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elizabeth Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Some plants like an acidic soil not alkaline. One is acid the other base chemically speaking. Rhododendrons, azaleas and blueberries love this. However there are other plants that do not thrive on acidic soil. Here is a link explaining the why and how. http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/plants/bg497.html My holly bushes love coffee grounds not my rose bushes. I took our soil to the county extension office and they told me what soil amendments were needed. Happy to help and call your local extension office for any other assistance as they are usually delighted to help and eager to encourage novices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I'm a novice vegetable gardener and I have heard of people doing this. Also, I have heard of sprinkling crushed egg shells around the plants. Is this really going to help my tomatoes, green beans and water melon? Or are these old wives tales? We usually put the coffee grounds and eggshells in our compost. However, I have found that both crushed eggshells and coffee grounds are pretty effective snail deterrents, so if you've got a slug or snail problem, you can sprinkle them around your plants or your garden area. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedearly Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I put both those items in my compost pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwalizer Posted June 2, 2009 Author Share Posted June 2, 2009 Thanks for the helpful info. I'd better do a little research before I put them on my garden because I just don't know if my veggies will like acid soil or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Eggshells add calcium to the soil. Tomatoes really benefit from the calcium. Lack of calcium can cause blossum end rot. But there is some debate about how much calcium eggshells will actually help. The shell has to breakdown and allow the roots to take up the calcium. Some people will put an egg shell in the hole when they plant tomatoes. We just put them in the compost (as many others have suggested). We don't drink coffee so have not coffee grounds, but I would put them in the compost if I had them. Again there are benefits of putting them around individual plants, but you'll have to figure out which plants and how much. You can make soil have too much of one nutrient or acidity and so we find that composting keeps everything well balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 we definitely put coffee grounds in the compost, and have even heard of some people going to starbucks to ask for discarded grounds to add to their compost. it's organic material, and all organic material besides meats and bones can go in the compost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 My old Starbucks had big, free 5 pound bags of coffee grounds in a basket by the door for people to take for their gardens; no asking required. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 My neighbor "cooks" her egg shells in the toaster over before putting them in compost for her garden. She says when she doesn't she gets more scavengers in her garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 You betcha! For what it's worth, the coffee grounds themselves aren't what actually nourishes your soil. Microbes, bugs, and earthworms eat the coffee grounds and leave their contribution in your soil. That's the stuff the plants want. :D Also, coffee grounds will not change the pH of your soil. Any acid in the grounds leaves during the brewing process. Studies show that the grounds are pH neutral. I get bags of grounds at Starbucks. We spread them thinly over a bed and around plants, and dump bags of them in our compost. Just go in and ask for coffee grounds for your garden. I guarantee you aren't the first person to ask. One caution...I do think coffee grounds around tender transplants are too 'hot.' The process of decomposing sucks up nitrogen in your soil, so your plants will starve for a while. Big plants, shrubs, and trees can handle this because their roots cover more area. Small tomato transplants don't do as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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