Search Results

Compost ratio by weight or volume ? #681276

Asked February 20, 2021, 10:48 AM EST

In your article about composting with coffee grounds, you recommend 1/3:1/3:1/3 leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds. 1) Is the ratio calculated by the bucket full or by weight? 2) This seems impractical as there aren't dead leaves around in the warm months when the grass is being clipped. Do you have any other ideas for dead/dry matter? 3) McDonalds fast food chain gives away their coffee grounds if you need some.

Lane County Oregon

coffee grounds #680888

Asked February 15, 2021, 12:24 AM EST

Hi, I read your article about using coffee grounds in compost and garden but also came across an article that said not to use it because of the caffeine. Here is the article, so just wondering what you think? https://www.discovery.com/science/Coffee-Grounds-in-Your-Garden Cheers, Natalie

Curry County Oregon

Buckeye Tree Fact Sheet #679108

Asked January 13, 2021, 12:59 PM EST

Hello, I am interested in finding a fact sheet on how to provide care for Buckeye Trees. Is this something OSU Extension has available? If specific variety is involved the Red Buckeye is the variety I would like more information about. Thank you.

Richland County Ohio

Soil quality #677285

Asked November 12, 2020, 6:12 PM EST

I heard coffee grounds are good for the soul and plants. Do you have resources that address that? If so, how much and how to incorporate into the soil?

Ramsey County Minnesota

Used coffee grounds for evergreen plants along the Oregon coast #674385

Asked August 10, 2020, 5:42 PM EDT

Are evergreen plants (trees and scrubs) native to the Oregon coast benefit from used coffee grounds?

Lane County Oregon

Straw bale garden issues #652672

Asked June 18, 2020, 6:55 PM EDT

Hi,

I have had a straw bale garden for several years.  This year the plants are all dying.  The tomatoes are not growing and the leaves are turning browning/purple.  The peas turned yellow and withered away.  The zucchini stopped growing, and I see the leaves starting to turn brown.  Nothing seems to be doing well.  The beans area also turning brown.  I threw one tomato plant away yesterday, it was very brown.  Based on the pictures, is there a nutrient deficiency?  I have been feeding them coffee grounds for nitrogen and put fresh compost yesterday.   Is there a way to save the plants at this point?



Kent County Michigan

How to use coffee grounds in the home garden? #641781

Asked May 31, 2020, 9:44 PM EDT

What are good ways to use coffee grounds in a home garden? What advice do you have for gardeners who want to add coffee grounds to their compost pile?

Montgomery County Pennsylvania

growing fruit trees or bamboo at 9000' #626279

Asked April 22, 2020, 1:54 PM EDT

Hi, Is it possible to grow fruit trees or bamboo at 9000'?
If so can you suggest a supplier? 
Also, i would consider growing in a 5 gallon bucket that could be moved inside.
Thank you,
Brandt

Boulder County Colorado

Moss in grass in Colorado; mulch vs compost to retain soil; discarding pine needles and branches #622490

Asked April 10, 2020, 10:12 AM EDT


Dear Ag extension.
I have a lot of questions = let me know if I should put them in separate emails!


1. Moss in grass in Colorado! We have a section of lawn north of our house and frequently shaded by the house that has moss in the grass. I thought moss was unusual in the dry Colorado air, but the patches cover a roughly 8x9ft section, and the lawn is developing patches of dry earth between the grass as well. I would like to take out the lawn and plant native Colorado plants or perennials that do well in Colorado, but wanted to get your take on what would do well in such conditions, and how to go about converting the area from patches of dead grass to perennials.  
2. Could you advise on using mulch vs compost to retain soil moisture in Colorado? I am tired of maintaining wood chip mulch, which -I think and correct me if I am wrong - needs to be removed to add any soil amendments and then put back. I had read that you might as well use a compost that would do double duty for moisture retention and a soil aid, and wanted your take on whether or not that would be a good idea, and what you advise for mulching around irises, or a bed with a combination of perennial shasta daisies, catmint and bulbs.
3. Soil recovery after 10 years of landscaping fabric/black plastic. The prior homeowners installed black plastic when planting pine trees around 2002-2004. I hate black plastic and we are now removing it and the trees are mature. The plastic is now buried under almost a foot of pine needles in places and black soil rich with earthworms, with a solid layer of clay below where the plastic was. A small number of surface roots are above the black plastic. How can we accelerate the rejuvenation of the soil now that the plastic is gone? We would like to plant shade tolerant ground cover below the trees where light is patchy. Should we turn the soil to combine the top layer with the clay? Should we just leave it?
4. Best way to discarding pine needles and branches? From the above pine trees on our property (blue spruce, ponderosa, and several long needle varieties) we have dense layers of pine needles. We cleaned the surface of the pine needles to reduce potential fire hazard, in the part of our yard that we have a grill, but there are 5-15 years of needles built up, which are turning into a nice humus layer. Could you advise on how much to remove to avoid a fire hazard but keep the nice humus layer, and what do we do with the pine needles? We have read that they shouldn't be composted so we are currently putting them in the trash, which seems ecologically like a bad idea. What are our alternatives for reducing fire hazard of pine needles waste? We have heard of using the dry long pine needles as mulch in other areas, but want your advice. Thanks! 


Thanks for everything that you do! I understand you are volunteers and appreciate your time!
Best
Jeannie





Arapahoe County Colorado

Coffee grounds in compost or the garden. #609842

Asked January 07, 2020, 10:48 AM EST

What if any studies have there been on using coffee grounds in composting or using them directly in the garden. There is a lot of information on the internet but I've yet to see anything that talks about caffeine! I have access to large amounts of spent coffee grounds and just wonder if they would be beneficial or not?

Riley County Kansas