How to Care for Spring Bulbs After Blooming

Spring bulbs I always plant behind flowers that grow higher in the spring, so one doesn't see the yellowed leaves.  After flowering bulbous flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips in the garden do not look very attractive.  Therefore, to simply cut them off would be a pity, because then they will not bloom next year.

Do Not Cut Off Leaves
Rule number one for early bloomers is: Cut off only the flowers and the stem, but not the leaves.  Instead, let them dry out slowly.  Only in this way can the bulb gather strength for flowering the following year. This is because the foliage leaves provide vital energy for the bulb until they wither.  The plant needs to prepare for the next growing season and to survive during the dormant period. 

Dig Up Flower Bulbs and Store them in a Dry Place.
Important: Flower bulbs must be stored in a dry and air-permeable place, such as a paper bag, or they will rot.  Once the leaves have dried up, there are two options.  The easiest is to dig up the bulbs.  Then they must be freed from the foliage, cleaned, and dried.  This works well, for example, in a net, which is hung in a dry place.  Important: Keep only healthy bulbs.  Sort out all others and dispose of them in the trash, not in the compost, because from there plant diseases can spread throughout the garden.

After drying, bulbs should be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, such as a paper bag or basket.  A cardboard box in which the onions are sorted layer by layer, each separated by a layer of newspaper, is also good.  Tip: Label the bag or box so that you know later which bulbs it is. In the fall, the bulbs can be put back in the ground.

Fertilizing Spring Bulbs
If you have planted bulbs of snowdrops, daffodils, or tulips in the garden, every year you can watch how the flowers quickly sprout and form flowers.  However, the blooming will decrease over the years.  This is because the plants extract nutrients from the soil.  To keep the plants as long as possible, the bulbous plants need fertilizer.

Use Universal Fertilizer or Horn Meal
As soon as the stems protrude about ten centimeters from the ground, the plants should be supported with a universal or complex fertilizer.  Fertilizers in liquid or solid form are suitable for this purpose, provided the dosage instructions are followed.  It is also helpful to carefully work horn meal or fine horn shavings into the soil between the tender shoots, which are usually in groups.  This organic fertilizer is decomposed by microorganisms and tiny creatures.  The process takes weeks and so gradually the fertilizer reaches the bulb flowers and strengthens them.  Beautiful flowers next spring will show up.

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One of the Best Things for Your Garden: Used Coffee Grounds

 

Used coffee grounds – leftover from using a coffee maker – contain a substantial amount of nitrogen, as well as potassium and phosphorus.  Coffee grounds are an ideal fertilizer in the garden and also improve depleted potting soil and compost. The all-rounder can also help against slugs.

At one point I drove every week to Starbucks with two pales to let them fill with coffee grounds,  My car smelled wonderfully for days and so did my garden.  I sprinkled thick layers over the soil and racked it in a bit.  Weeks later I enjoyed fantastic soil, no weeds, and beautiful flowers.

Coffee grounds can be used in the garden primarily as a fertilizer because it contains lots of valuable ingredients such as potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, tannic acid, and antioxidants.  These are nutrients that can also be found in commercial fertilizer products.

Allow drying before use.  The basic requirement for use is that it is always well cooled and dry, as moist coffee grounds mold easily.  To do this, place the coffee grounds in an open, wide container and allow them to air dry.

Fertilize with coffee grounds

Coffee grounds have a low pH value and are therefore particularly suitable for fertilizing plants that require acidic garden soil.  Ornamental plants include, for example, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and camellias.  Coffee grounds fertilizer is also suitable for crops such as cucumber, tomato, zucchini or blueberries, and strawberries.

The nitrogen contained in coffee grounds ensures strong leaf growth, and phosphorus stimulates flower formation and fruit ripening. Potassium is important for cell structure and plant stability. Only young seedlings do not tolerate caffeine well. To fertilize, simply work the coffee grounds into the soil, such as with a rake.

Use in irrigation water.

Coffee grounds neutralize calcareous irrigation water.  If the soil is very alkaline and the water contains lime, a spoonful or two of coffee grounds in the water can work wonders.  It neutralizes the pH and fertilizes the soil at the same time.  Coffee grounds, on the other hand, are not good for watering houseplants, as they can cause mold to form over time. 

However, mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio, cold coffee can be used once a week to water house and balcony plants.  Especially Cyclamen, Philodendron, Christmas Cacti, Azalea, and Orchids.

The benefit of using coffee grounds as a fertilizer is that it adds organic material to the soil, which improves drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil. The used coffee grounds will also help microorganisms beneficial to plant growth thrive as well as attract earthworms.

Coffee grounds improve compost and potting soil.

Coffee grounds also find a good use on compost.  It accelerates decomposition, enriches the soil with nutrients, and provides food for earthworms.  To prevent mold from forming, sprinkle the coffee grounds on the surface, and put the filter in separately.

Depleted potting soil can also be improved with coffee grounds and then reused.  To do this, mix the old soil with compost in equal parts and fold in the coffee grounds in small amounts.  However, if there is too much coffee in the soil, mold can easily form.

Coffee grounds can protect against slugs

Snails do not like caffeine.  Coffee grounds are therefore suitable as a barrier layer that can simply be scattered around the vegetable patch.  However, this does not apply to all species.  Depending on which species of snail threatens the lettuce, it is definitely worth a try.

Many people feel that coffee grounds lower the pH (or raise the acid level) of soil, which is good for acid-loving plants.  This is only true for unwashed coffee grounds though.  Fresh coffee grounds are acidic. Used coffee grounds are neutral.  If you rinse your used coffee grounds, they will have a near-neutral pH of 6.5 and will not affect the acid levels of the soil.  To use coffee grounds as fertilizer, work the coffee grounds into the soil around your plants.  Leftover diluted coffee works well like this too.

Protection against pests and critters

Both coffee grounds and brew can be used against aphids.  Fortunately, coffee grounds and brews are suitable for almost all plants and plant species.  You can use it not only to combat aphids, but also other species or pests.  Potted plants and plants in flower beds are suitable. In addition to plants in the garden or on the terrace or balcony, indoor plants can also be treated with it.

It is a natural household remedy that does not release any harmful substances into the home!

Treatment is possible all year round for indoor plants and outdoors in dry weather.  You should always let the coffee grounds dry before using them on the soil.  If you add it to the plant soil when it is wet, this can cause the soil to become moldy.  You can spray the coffee grounds on the leaves, the shoots, and the leaf axils of the plant.  The plant may then be dripping wet, but not much of the brew should get onto the soil.

If you do not have coffee in the house, you can also use black tea.  This also contains caffeine.  You can make a brew from two bags of black tea and one liter of water.  You can also spread the contents of the tea bags on the soil of the plant.

Coffee grounds accumulate regularly but usually end up in the trash.  

What a pity!  Don't be one of these ignorant gardeners!

Read more:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/ingredients/coffee-grounds-gardening.htm

https://www.homesandgardens.com/advice/are-coffee-grounds-good-for-plants

https://balconygardenweb.com/houseplants-that-love-coffee-grounds-for-plant-growth/

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