Gardeners warned not to use 'cheap drink' on hydrangeas and roses
Gardeners are buzzing over a household scrap that could spell the end for disappointing hydrangea and rose blooms. Coffee grounds, long considered waste, have been hailed as green gold among the gardening community for helping to deliver massive bursts of blossoms that are universally adored.
For plant lovers seeking that extra flourish, Luci Nunes turned to social media for advice, posting on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook group: "Hi can anyone clear a doubt for me please? Someone has said to use coffee grounds to get nice blooms from hydrangeas and roses and to get blue hydrangeas. Can I use instant coffee granules?"
Rapid responses piled up in the comment section, but the consensus was a resounding no, especially considering the specificity of coffee type. Eileen Austin added her input, stating firmly: "No. It needs to be ground coffee. A lot of coffee shops give away the spent grounds, but not all."
Meanwhile, Clare Wilson shared her unique method: "I use finished Tassimo pods and Dolce Gusto pods to keep getting bigger and better blooms from roses and hydrangeas. It keeps slugs and snails away from my plants too.
"I empty them all into a container then yes just sprinkle around the base of plants. But until they dry out don't put a lid on the container or they go mouldy."
Karen Davis wrote: "Only add used coffee grounds to your plants. I found that they turned my pink hydrangeas blue. I love it."
The green-fingered pros at PlantIn note that coffee grounds are packed with minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
Phosphorus and potassium are known to boost plant yields, while nitrogen plays a key role in photosynthesis, aiding plants to "grow faster". Additionally, coffee grounds possess antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that transfer essential nutrients to your garden.
Unused, fresh coffee grounds can be too acidic, so they're not recommended for brewing, reports the Express.
Being slightly acidic, coffee is a treat for acid-loving flora such as hydrangeas, along with nutrient-starved beauties like roses; however, moderation is the watchword for any individual plant's dosage.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bindweed taking over your garden? The little-known use for the pesky weed that can help your other flowers thrive
BINDWEED can take over your entire garden, but one plant expert revealed a sneaky trick to turn your fortunes around. The pesky plant has a little-known use which can help your other plants thrive. 3 3 Simon Akeroyd is a gardening expert who was previously Head Gardener for the National Trust and the Royal Horticulture Society. The star took to Facebook to share how you can turn having bindweed into an advantage. Although bindweed can produce some beautiful flowers, it can take over your entire garden and will start 'outcompeting' your other plants. According to Simon, you have to remove every single root - otherwise the pesky weed will come back. If you add it to your compost or to a landfill, bindweed just takes root again and spreads back into your garden. Instead, the gardening expert has a secret trick to make bindweed into a 'super-charged' plant tea. First, you have to drown it in a bucket of water and leave it for several weeks. Wait until it turns to mush and the water turns brown. Simon says it is the perfect colour if it looks like 'swamp water'. Bottle the brown liquid and pour some into your watering can. This is a superfood for your plants and can help the flowers you actually want grow even faster. In the caption to his post, Simon wrote: 'I'm truly sorry if you have bindweed in your garden as it is a real menace, swamping and smothering any plants in its wake! 'However, at [sic] an attempt of turning a negative into a positive…bindweed makes the most amazing, super-charged liquid plant feed. 'Give your plants some of this, and your plants will romp away! 'It's a great way of getting rid of bindweed roots because you can't add them to your compost as they will regrow and spread quickly.' The news comes after gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh revealed his trick for transforming your garden. He says that you should buy one or two 'hardy' plants every month, to steadily build up your collection of plants. He said: 'The best way of bringing interest all year round, is to go to your local nursery or your local garden centre, once a month, every month of the year, and buy one or two hardy plants for the garden that are in flower when you go. He added: 'Instead of visiting once in May or June, when everybody goes and buys up everything and plants it and it looks lovely - if you go every month of the year and buy something in flower, you end up with a garden which has always got something interesting in it. 'It's such an obvious thing to say, but it's a lovely easy way of making sure that you always have colour in your garden." 3
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
People are only just realising why Marmite jars have flat sides – and it's leaving them stunned
Scroll down to find out exactly why the design choice was made FLAT FACT People are only just realising why Marmite jars have flat sides – and it's leaving them stunned Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HAVE you ever looked at a jar of Marmite and wondered why it's got flat sides? Well, the reason for the design choice has now been unveiled - and it's leaving people stunned. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 People have been left stunned after discovering the reason that Marmite jars have flat sides Credit: EPA 3 It's apparently to help Marmite lovers get every single drop out of the jar Credit: Alamy 3 Radio 1 DJ Greg James was among those who was entirely unaware of the reasons for the jar design One Marmite fan took to social media site X, formerly Twitter, to share the little known fact, as he wrote: "It took me years to realise that near-empty Marmite jars should be kept on their side so you can get the last of it out more easily. "That's why the jar is flat at the sides!" And the post quickly caught the attention of another Marmite fan - Radio 1 DJ Greg James. Greg shared the original post on his own socials, as he admitted: "Today is the day my life changed forever". Others were equally stunned by the discovery after it was shared on Facebook, with one writing: "My life has been a lie!" "Never knew that," another marvelled. "Awesome idea," a third raved. "Been doing it for years, one last small knife-full usually left," someone else said. Not everyone was convinced by the explanation though, with one insisting that the flat area helps "spread the contact area when shrink wrapped in their bulk packages to reduce possibility of glass breakage". "If the jar didn't have a flat spot, the contact point between the jars would be miniscule and therefore much more prone to stress fracture during transport," they added. How to make Marmite Roast Potatoes "Pretty sure the design is more for bulk packaging than anything else, but I've always used it for the last bit," another wrote. And some people used the post to share their own methods for getting every little bit out of the Marmite jar. "Put the jar in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes," one wrote. "All the excess round the sides will slide down to the bottom!" "Put warm water in the jar to dissolve all that marmite goodness and add it to gravy or casserole etc," another suggested. "Nah, pop in some hot water & use those last bits as a stock!" a third commented. What foods should you ALWAYS keep in the fridge? THE 'King of Bread' Paul Hollywood has said you should never keep bread in the fridge. But what foods SHOULD you store in there? According to EUFIC, The European Food Information Council, these are some of the main foods you should always ensure are kept in the fridge. Apples Berries Butter Cheese Eggs (boiled or unboiled) Fish (cooked or raw) Fresh herbs Lemons Meat (cooked or raw) Milk Oranges Pickles (if opened) Salad leaves Tomatoes Yoghurts When contacted for confirmation of the design explanation, a Marmite spokesperson told Fabulous Online: "Marmite lovers will go to any length to enjoy every single drop. "And while the jar's flat sides weren't originally designed for this, with the return of Marmite Squeezy it's now easier than ever to spread the love to the very last drop."
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
People are only just realising why Marmite jars have flat sides – and it's leaving them stunned
HAVE you ever looked at a jar of Marmite and wondered why it's got flat sides? Well, the reason for the design choice has now been unveiled - and it's leaving people stunned. 3 3 3 One Marmite fan took to social media site X, formerly Twitter, to share the little known fact, as he wrote: "It took me years to realise that near-empty Marmite jars should be kept on their side so you can get the last of it out more easily. "That's why the jar is flat at the sides!" And the post quickly caught the attention of another Marmite fan - Radio 1 DJ Greg James. Greg shared the original post on his own socials, as he admitted: "Today is the day my life changed forever". Others were equally stunned by the discovery after it was shared on Facebook, with one writing: "My life has been a lie!" "Never knew that," another marvelled. "Awesome idea," a third raved. "Been doing it for years, one last small knife-full usually left," someone else said. Not everyone was convinced by the explanation though, with one insisting that the flat area helps "spread the contact area when shrink wrapped in their bulk packages to reduce possibility of glass breakage". "If the jar didn't have a flat spot, the contact point between the jars would be miniscule and therefore much more prone to stress fracture during transport," they added. "Pretty sure the design is more for bulk packaging than anything else, but I've always used it for the last bit," another wrote. And some people used the post to share their own methods for getting every little bit out of the Marmite jar. "Put the jar in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes," one wrote. "All the excess round the sides will slide down to the bottom!" "Put warm water in the jar to dissolve all that marmite goodness and add it to gravy or casserole etc," another suggested. "Nah, pop in some hot water & use those last bits as a stock!" a third commented. When contacted for confirmation of the design explanation, a Marmite spokesperson told Fabulous Online: "Marmite lovers will go to any length to enjoy every single drop. "And while the jar's flat sides weren't originally designed for this, with the return of Marmite Squeezy it's now easier than ever to spread the love to the very last drop."
