I read so much stuff about gardening! There is so much extensive info on coffee grounds and gardening, sure was using it around the roses along w/
the Epsom salts and banana peels. My roses did look great. And anyone here get the Jerry Baker gardening tips idea book like I did? He suggests some unusual things. So, I guess I have 2 questions: Do you use coffee grounds in gardening or read Jerry Baker garden tips? BTW, got to get off of here, going to see American Sniper, tried last week was sold out, so 5 days ago had to go online and pre buy and reserve seats!

I hope you enjoy your movie.
I use coffee grinds in my compost and around my Hosta . Not only for the nitrogen but it helps keep the slugs away.

We use coffee grounds in our compost and to repel the fire ants. And I have a couple of Jerry Baker's books I refer to now and again.

Coffee grounds: all the time. I had not heard of Jerry Baker before.

P.S. I can't find the link now, but someone who sells hundreds or thousands of some kind of expensive plant wrote about steeping used coffee grounds in the sun for days, then using it as an anti-insect spray, and he had some impressive results to support its effectiveness. I wish I recalled WHAT insects he said it was good against.

What would say is Jerry's area of expertise that you value most, or his best or strangest tip?

OH! What would you say is his most controversial tip? It's wintertime so we need some heated debate to stir up our circulation!

I don't think Jerry can provide much debate, mostly folksy, grandma/mother gardening advice, down home remedies. You're gonna have to think of something else, Rick!

Always put coffee grounds in the compost, and also amend the soil around certain plants with it. I use it to kill mosquito larvae in the cups of my bromeliads as well. Just a pinch or two every couple of weeks keeps the water juiced up so those little wigglers just exhaust themselves.

Also I have a big Staghorn fern up in one of my oak trees and one of the local sages said to toss a handful of spent coffee grounds up there for it once in a while. I did it one time and 'disturbed' a squirrel who was napping on the fuzzy center of the fern. (I have a constant battle with squirrels around here).

Ikay Rick, here's one I remember.
Jerry Baker suggested making a spray using Sprite soda and Clorox bleach and folks swear by it.

All my coffee grounds go into the compost bin.

I bought a Jerry Baker book way before I found Dave And Trish's first garden. About the only thing I follow is feeding the grass. The stuff he suggests and that I use totally work on the lawn.

>> Jerry Baker suggested making a spray using Sprite soda and Clorox bleach and folks swear by it.

Anti-fungus?
Anti-insect?
To whiten the whites in a variegated leaf?

I couldn't argue for or against any of those, so I guess I can't provide any entertaining controversy either.

I'll try harder next time!

No kidding. I can't imagine what you'd use that spray for, except maybe . . well the sugar in the soda would make it sticky, and then the Clorox would bleach whatever it stuck to. Whitening leaves sounds about right.

I remember a concoction of beer and Listerine for the lawn . Anyway here is something that I am copying out of his book right now: "Slugweiser" This brew will make slugs a thing of the past. 1 LB of brown sugar and 1/2 package of yeast. Pour these ingredients into a gallon jug of warm water and let it sit for 2 days uncovered. Pour into sslug traps and watch the culprits drink their just reward. BTW as traps he suggests sinking a cat food can into the ground.

>> I remember a concoction of beer and Listerine for the lawn

In case you have an alcoholic lawn but want to avoid beer breath?

This is mittsy's "slug beer" recipe - note the relatively large amount of aded salt..

slug-beer: by mittsy http://davesgarden.com/communi...
2 cups warm water,
1 pkg. dry yeast,
1 teaspoon sugar,
1 teaspoon salt ,

P.S. If you don't like getting dead slugs on the soles of your shoes, you can mix up some diluted household ammonia and keep it in a hand sprayer set to "stream" or "jet". One shot kills slugs quickly, and the stronger version dissolves egg masses.

You can spray many plants with the weaker version, but you might want to rinse them soon after, especially Lilies or Asters.

Diluted ammonia is a high-N fertilizer, so its OK for the soil unless your household ammonia has perfumes or whatnot.

Start with household ammonia (5% to 10% by weight"
dilute that 1:10 or 1:20
result: dilute ammonia, 0.25% to 1%

Vinegar also works on slugs.

I've also used coffee grounds on ant mounds. They seem to vacate the area in no time.

The only problem is the ants just move somewhere else. If I can keep them out of my beds I'm okay, unless it's one of those HUGE ant hills!