THERE’S nothing quite like that relaxing scent of lavender during a warm spring and summer evening.
Although it is a quintessential product of , the sturdy shrub has been a gardeners’ favourite all over the world and has been cultivated since Ancient Rome.
May is the perfect time to cultivate this beautiful yet low-maintenance in the – and now one expert has revealed how to make the plant double in size thanks to a 45p kitchen staple.
The whizz and YouTuber MIgardener explained that to make your lavender plants look fabulous this season you should fertilise it.
In the informative clip, the guru recommended liquid nitrogen which can be found in fertilizer.
But the amount of nitrogen varies significantly, typically ranging from 15% to 40%.
also contain liquid nitrogen and are a cheaper costing you around 45p.
But coffee grounds typically contain around 1 to 2 percent nitrogen.
They also contain small amounts of phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients.
So while not a major source of nitrogen, they can contribute to plant nutrition, particularly when composted or added to as a soil amendment.
Make sure to dilute the coffee grounds with water before applying them to flowerbeds as otherwise they can be too acidic and harm your plants.
Another added bonus of using coffee as a fertiliser over synthetic ones is that it won’t damage your lawn.
If synthetic fertiliser is applied incorrectly it can reek havoc by burning the grass or contaminating the water, which coffee grounds won’t do.
On top of that, coffee acts as a slow-release fertiliser, the opposite of synthetic ones.
Worms also love coffee and will eat it up along with the soil which in return aerates the lawn to stimulate even more growth.
While fertilising your plants and flowers is a must for all gardeners and goes without saying, another key element is picking the right time, he added.
According to the green-fingered whose lavender had expanded twice in size, you should fertilise it twice a year.
Dropping his knowledge bombs online, the whizz explained that the first fertilising should take place in spring.
”;The goal is to get the plant out of the dormancy, to get it growing very fast.
”;And when it grows really fast, all of that new growth is what it’s going to flower on.
”;We want to get lots of new growth to encourage lots of flowers.”;
Once the flowers are gone and the lilac shrub is getting ready for winter, it’s time to follow up with the second fertilising about a month or two before the first frost date.
While during spring and summer the shrubs need more phosphorus, a winter fertilizer should be higher in potassium to ”;help them set up better for spring”;.
For this, he advised to apply the fertiliser a month or two before the first frost to the base of the plant.
”;We pull the foliage up, we dig up a small little trench about an inch deep, sprinkle the fertiliser around the base of the plant.
”;Then we simply scratch it in, we water it in well – and that’s all we do.
”;Fertilising does make a huge difference.”;
