new experiment, need input

[GardenRN]

Stupid mistake, realized that there is no coffee in the house....lol. I don't even have a coffee pot. I substituted for tea. I know it's different but, close as I can do for now.

[applestar]

Starbucks has a corporate policy, somebody said, to give away used grounds for gardening use. Some places package measured amounts for pick up and have hand out info sheets and everything. Manager at my local one apologized to me one time --for not having any saved and ready, but offered "what they had" behind th counter.

There's thread about them in the CompostIng Forum (I think). Found it
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30608

[GardenRN]

wow I didn't know that. But is it THAT beneficial? I mean I have heard of it possibly warding off some pests. I would worry about the ph being thrown off balance, going too acidic if I used too many grounds.

[GardenRN]

Well here goes. We shall see what happens. Headed to put it down by the rest of the plants now. I'll keep it updated.

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/exp.jpg[/img]

[DoubleDogFarm]

Did I miss something. Is the lettuce seed floating in the different liquids.

Eric

[GardenRN]

I cut tips off of q-tips and put them just far enough down into the tubes to wick up the moisture. Seeds aren't floating

[DoubleDogFarm]

Interesting.

I give it a 15% success rate, but what do I know.

Edit: I changed my mind. I'll give it a 75% germination rate. These are all water based solutions. None, I don't think, are pre-emergent. The seeds with their built in requirements, will probably germinate then die of pollutants. If they don't rot first.

Eric

[GardenRN]

Marlin do you mean directly in the garden? Or in this horsing around I am doing? I don't have coffee to use in either place. But I did use tea in the experiment. I wouldn't throw whole tea bags in my garden that's for sure! I saw how "quickly" those peat pellet nets broke down, or didn't. I would imagine that I'd have about the same results with a tea bag. I could get coffee grounds at work, or starbucks as apple informed us. But I just want to hear someone tell me there is some significant benefit from it before I go through the trouble.

[sheeshshe]

microwaved water!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Sparkling water or fizzy water. CO2 hmm.

Jeff, will you have to push down the Q-tip as the liquid moves down?


Eric

[GardenRN]

Sparkling water or fizzy water. CO2 hmm.

Jeff, will you have to push down the Q-tip as the liquid moves down?


Eric

I don't think I'll have to. The evaporation will be very slow. but I have a syringe I can add more with if I need to.

[Bobberman]

Boil a little water and place in a sealed container so it has little or no air disolved in it! Put the seed in the airless water sealed and see if germanates faster and better! Also another thing to try would be a soda water that has only carbon dioxide in it!

[alaskagold]

wow, this is really cool. Any progress so far?

I would have tried... going to be kind of gross... tobacoo spit.

As for the Starbucks grounds, I use them every year in my raised beds. They are great to keep the plants fed and it actually helps cut down on the acidic "swamp dirt" that they call top soil here, or the river sand I have to use. Also, potatoes (fingerlings and yukon gold) grow really well in coffee grounds as it is acidic but will dry out if not watered regularly.

I have to make my own topsoil most times, so I use quite a bit of coffee grounds (watered out until clear) for a base. It does work, it just takes a lot of work.

[GardenRN]

No thing much so far. I think I need bigger tubes or something. Only on vile sprouted, that was one of the compost tea ones. But the other 3 compost tea viles have done nothing, like the rest of the viles so I think something is wrong. Especially since these same seeds germinated in less than 48 hours for me in the dirt.

[DoubleDogFarm]

What is the heat difference between water and soil? If I remember correctly, evaporation causes a cooling effect.

I would give it more time.

Eric

[gershon]

Try 1.5 aspirin to 2 gallons of water: https://www.plantea.com/plant-aspirin.htm

Vinegar seems to be good for just about everything, but I couldn't find anything online to support it helping seed germination.

My soil is just a touch basic, so it would probably help me. This might be good for several plants with different concentrations in each one.

I've heard of using milk one time on peppers, but as it will likely sour, that's one I'd use outside.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Any result Mad Scientist?


Eric

[Jast]

Try a little Epsom Salts in water

[lily51]

You might want to try it again by planting the seeds in potting mix that is saturated with each solution, then water each variable with the same amount with that specific solution. Have each solution the same concentration. Keep all other conditions the same, such as temp, time when watered, light.Let us know what happens.

[alaskagold]

Hey GRN, any luck? I am curious as to how it is progressing?

[DoubleDogFarm]

I think the hoophouse GardenRN and friend is building collapsed and they are trapped underneath eating seeds to survive.

Hope to hear something soon.

Eric