I don’t have a big garden, it’s lovely, but very shady with only a few sunny patches.
I sowed seeds at the end of January and the seedlings are in a rigged waterproof “nursery drawer” which is temporarily attached to the inside of my bedroom window. The tomatoes will go in the sunny spots. Am also growing (trying to germinate currently) green shiso/perilla seeds which are en expensive herb but are generous providers over the summer for a range of foods. These will go in the 50% sun, 50% shade areas where they thrive. This year, I’ve already sown “in situ” wild garlic seeds, a leafy, highly aromatic plant where you eat the stems and leaves rather than the bulbs. These should do well somewhere shady as they tend to grow in forests. Apparently they do well in acidic soils.

And that’s where this thread has come in useful! Hadn’t considered coffee grounds for the wild garlic, so that’ll what I’ll be doing. Also, I knew about crushed egg shells (and finely chopped human hair - keratin) for tomatoes but hadn’t come across advice for coffee for these plants either. Thanks to all who suggested it!

In the front, I know of cherry and heirloom tomatoes... At one point I remember planting beefsteak as well, but I don't think they came back. If they come back again this year, I'll take a photo.

Now I'm curious... I should start planning in case they don't come back...

Our grounds go in the worm composter in SoCal, and in PDX they either go out with the compost pickup, into a compost bin we keep, or straight into the garden to repel slugs. Slugs (and snails, presumably) are repelled by the caffeine - cheap coffee from robusta beans tastes worse but is probably a better snail repellent.

She uses a basin to catch them, so no plumbers. I don't know the purpose, to be honest. I learned not to ask.

I used to dump the grounds down the drain, I use a reusable gold filter. I also used to put egg shells down the drain and run the garbage disposal.

A costly plumbing visit has cured me of that habit. Apparently, the coffee grounds and any oil/grease and egg shells combine together to form the hardest substance known to man (sarcasm). Seriously, it was like cement in my outgoing pipe. It was quite a mess.

Now I tap out the grounds in the trash to get most of it, throw the eggs shells out too, and try to avoid putting a lot of grease down the drain as well.

Apparently, it is supposed to rebalance the hair and scalp's pH levels.

Ok, I'll bite... Are garbage disposal units common in the US? I've never been in a place where the house had one... I keep a few containers near the sink/counter...

- Container for egg shells to dry out and eventually get placed in my fertlizer container in the yard...
- Container for (usually) tea leaves from tea bags (and the occasional coffee grind) to dry out (otherwise they attract fruit flies)... gets treated like the egg container.
- Recycle bin (corner of the kitchen)
- Garbage bin (under the sink and covered)
- Green bin (bones, organic material)

Any grease gets sopped up by paper towels and then tossed in the green bin.

They are fairly common in the US. That said, I've only ever had them in rental units, and haven't really wanted one in my house, because it is just one more thing to break.

I am not sure what you are biting, but I don't know if garbage disposals are common or not in the US. But I have had one as long as I have lived in my condo.

I don't have a yard. So composting and spreading organic garbage around the outside of the building would probably anger someone. The critters wouldn't mind, though.

We don't have an effective municipal recycling effort, but I try to recycle 100%. My bins take up the closet in the guest bedroom. About once a month I put them all in the car and drive to the recycling center.

I have a garbage bin under the sink. It is usually takes a week to fill. I live alone and cook all my meals, so my organic stuff is egg shells, an occasional chicken bone, coffee grounds and onion and garlic skins. I just toss that in the trash. I no longer put my grounds or egg shells down the sink as it creates a clog.

Use them as compost and/or to keep pests out of your garden.

https://www.gardeningchannel.com/25-...me-and-garden/

Eggs shells are said to be benign and clean out the garbage disposal by providing some lightly abrasive material. Coffee grounds I've always been told to avoid. If one cooks with fats, some will get down the sink. I think the mistake many people make is not using a dishwasher. A combination of the caustic and mildly abrasive solution, heated to rather-elevated temperatures, should do a good job of keeping kitchen sewage pipes clean, or at least push it downstream to make it someone else's problem. Don't try this with a septic system!

They count as kitchen appliances, believe it or not. Municipal sewage works (at least the one in my previous one) prefer you just dump stuff in the garbage (pre green bin) as it is cheaper to deal with than dumping it down the sewer and the costly treatment (and maintenance) that requires.

They're actually fairly reliable due to their simplicity.. I did have to replace one once, - the plastic housing a cheap condo model cracked.

They're from seeds from leftover tomatoes (or those consumed not by you). Must have a nice, warm location.

To the point where, in IL, they are listed in a real estate contract. I can't imagine anyone wanting to disassemble and take it with them when they move, but a lot of things don't make sense.

Probably 2 schools of thought: I bought it and I want to keep it or I paid $xxx for the top if the line 600 HP and need it wherever I go.

David

I am surprised that your condo building / complex lacks recycling / etc - I feel that one condo benefit is for the monthly fee that covers certain inconveniences such as recycling collection / etc.

i think a garbage disposal is very useful - we’ve had ours since 2009 and only rarely have needed to press the reset button below the disposal machine. We also have a dishwasher but I think both appliances are great without each other.

I hand wash my stuff. Makes no sense to rinse off the stuff only thing have it washed again. That said, I do occasionally pour hot water (not boiling) down the sink once in a while just in case there's grease that I didn't get with the paper towel. Pretty good at disinfecting the sink as well. Combined with the stuff I use to clean the sink and I've never seen a clog there.

Maybe. I usually pick up any leftovers and put them in a section of the yard where I know squirrels gather and leave it to them to consume or dispose of as they will. The area where the vines grow isn't the warmest, but gets a lot of morning sun.