Scattering Our Favorite Soil Amendment

Lately, we've returned to collecting and gathering our favorite soil amendment: used coffee grounds from Starbucks.

When we're consistent enough, Karen's whole backyard smells like a double expresso. The cats appear to dislike that odor so they go else where to do their business. It also appears to help keep pests away.

One of our best producing tomato plants this year has produced the greatest tomatoes close to the ground.

Over and over again I reach for a ripe, red tomato only to discover gaping holes on the side closest to the ground. I've never caught sight of the culprit. Last night I gave each tomato plant several liberal scoops of coffee grounds to see if I could discourage predators.

Regardless, the grounds are wonderful for changing the texture of clayish soil. They add acid to the soil, which many vegetables prefer. At times we've added the grounds to the compost bin as well.

Please note that while Starbucks positions itself as a planet conscious company, its stores are highly variable in their receptivity to giving customers used grounds. The Starbucks at Riverside and Fulton is wonderful about taking your name down and sharing the wealth among customers. The Starbucks at Burbank and Tilden once told me that they couldn't give away grounds because of health regulations. It pays to shop around and support the locations that support your garden.

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Know Your Soil For Best Garden Results

I've always taken soil for granted. It was there. You put seeds into it. You put water on it. Plants grow and produce flowers, fruit or vegetables. Gayle Weinstein, author of Xeriscape Handbook; A How-To Guide to Natural, Resource-Wise Gardening , takes a different view: “Soil . . . acts as a highway between life and death, land and atmosphere, plants and animals.” It stores water, air and nutrients and makes it possible for an exchange of elements and chemical reactions to occur, she adds. She describes soil as being animal, vegetable and mineral combined. Here are six tests Gayle recommends for getting to know your soil. Grab a shovel and a quart jar. Dig up two cups of dry soil two-to-six inches deep from the areas you want to test. Gather a glass of water, dish washing detergent and paper towels. A soil pH kit, a meter or litmus paper will be needed for the final test.

Away With Holey Leaves: Offing the Pests

I can't stand the tell-tale signs of garden pests: the leaves with holes, the failure to thrive. I believe in early assault with organic deterrents. Kate has great faith in plants' commitment to survive. She considers holes in leaves to be a mere cosmetic blemish. Like politics and religion, getting rid of pests in a garden is sure to cause a community donnybrook (or at least rapid words over ice water in the lounge chairs). To do organic warfare against pests means using one or more of these tools:

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Bees are the unthanked field help of a garden. Many people -- including my fellow gardener, Karen -- can't stand them and don't want plants that attract them in a garden. On a recent dog walk, I saw a swarm of bees. It was an awesome sight. One bee is one thing, hundreds are something else. Then this came across the potting bench: "Unlike honey bees, Mason Bees create nests in hollow spaces like reeds and holes in wood and 'pad' them, as their name suggests, with mud from the surrounding garden. Because mason bees will settle in and colonize in a friendly environment, you can encourage them by providing them a pre-built home like the Blue Orchard Mason Bee Nest available at High Country Gardens ." The nest looks like a piece of clay pipe with straws inside. It has a natural, functional look that would go well in any garden.

The Fink Farm Dirt

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