May in the Garden

Coffee grounds release essential nutrients into soil.

One of my simple morning pleasures is wandering around the garden with my cup of coffee. Most of us drink coffee daily, which adds up to a lot of grounds tossed in the garbage. The grounds are organic so consider recycling them as a soil amendment. You can mix them in a compost bin or sprinkle them around your plants as a mulch – either way is beneficial to the garden.

Coffee grounds bring essential nutrients into the soil including nitrogen, phosphorus, iron and zinc. As a mulching material they bring the benefits of moderating soil temperature and holding water.

There is a misconception that

coffee grounds make soil acidic, but there is no science to back that up. Another common theory that they repel slugs, snails, cats or other wildlife also has no basis. Earthworms are not attracted to coffee grounds but do eat them as a food source, effectively moving them deeper into the soil.

Coffee grounds are fine, so too thick of a layer (over ½ inch) will become compacted and will prevent good air and water circulation. Don’t use them over areas where you have planted seeds. If you are using a compost bin, it is recommended that no more than 25 percent of the contents are coffee grounds to keep a good balance of microbes flourishing.

Some coffee shops save grounds for gardeners. Personally, my morning coffee provides plenty of grounds for my garden!

✿ Garden Prep

Continue to add mulch in your garden, but don’t mulch around warm season vegetables because they really need the heat around their roots right now. ✿ Planting It’s time to plant flowers for summer color. Your local nursery will have plants that are appropriate for our climate. ✿ Watering The weather is warming up, so make sure your irrigation is turned on and make any repairs, if you haven’t already. ✿ Fertilizer Plants are continuing a big growth period so continue fertilizing. Remember not to overdo the feeding, otherwise your plants will grow too aggressively, resulting in a thirstier plant during the summer months. Feed camellias, azaleas with an acid fertilizer when they stop blooming. At half-strength you can feed again two or three more times at six- to eight-week intervals, finishing up at the end of September.

✿ Pest & Disease Control If you have planted your veggie garden, chances are you will be battling leaf mold on your squashes. The cause can be overwatering, but the cool, damp weather on the coast plays a heavy role. On your roses, watch for rose slugs, aka saw flies. They are pale-green and look like caterpillars. Spray your roses with a hose to wash these pests off in the morning so the leaves dry out before nightfall. ✿ Pruning Prune spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas and camellias

when they finish blooming because they bloom on yearold growth. Hibiscus, lantana and other sub-tropicals are also ready for trimming. They can be cut back by as much as half, allowing you to shape them and clean them out for a healthier plant. ✿ Miscellaneous Who doesn’t need more ladybugs in their garden? Buy a little bucket of these beauties and invite neighborhood kids over for the release. Priceless…. ✿ Finally Don’t forget sunscreen, hats and gloves.