Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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Friday - March 18, 2016
From: Southlake, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Using Coffee Grounds under Live Oaks in Texas?
Answered by: Anne Van Nest
QUESTION:
Can you add coffee grounds to live oak tree?ANSWER:
Yes! In fact, Austin, Texas has a city-wide program to divert coffee grounds from the landfill and put them to work in the garden. The program, called Ground to Ground suggests incorporating the coffee grounds into the garden soil - up to 25% volume.
They say that the coffee grounds are:
- Great immediate and slow-release source of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
- Contains a range of micronutrients such as Calcium and Magnesium.
- Slightly acidic – great for Austin’s alkaline soils!
- A 2012 study showed that lutein, B-carotene, and chlorophylls increased in greens proportionally to the amount of grounds sown into garden soil (0 – 20%). Biomass of harvest also increased with the addition of grounds.
- Won’t burn plants or pollute groundwater; microorganisms love grounds!
- Repels snails, slugs, pillbugs, and most cats.
From the Image Gallery
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Ecosysystem with pecan at center from Austin
February 21, 2014 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I would like to create a native tree guild around a mature pecan. It shares its space with native shrubs and ephemerals but I would like to add a nitrogen fixing plant. I am...
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Understory trees for large trees in Austin
October 18, 2010 - I'm blessed with some beautiful large live oaks, burr oaks, and cedar elms in my front yard in southwest Austin. I'd like to plant some understory trees among them. The trees would get dappled lig...
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Controlling live oak sprouts in Lakeland FL
November 23, 2009 - We had a live oak taken down last year. We now have sprouts we cannot get rid of and they continue to multiply invading the lawn. We did not have this problem so much when the tree was there. Is ther...
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Decline of pollinating bees around Mexican plums
March 19, 2007 - Dear Dr. Smarty Plants
While out working in my yard (about nine miles southwest of the Wildfower Center) this morning, I became aware that there was no sound of bees buzzing. I checked our Mexica...
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Species of hackberry best for wildlife from Georgetown, TX
February 21, 2014 - Which species of Hackberry tree is the best for wildlife in Georgetown, TX (just north of Austin)? Your Plant Database says Celtis occidentals is "among the BEST food and shelter plants for wildlife,...
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