"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
Three more potential sources for potassium are wood ashes (which
can raise soil pH), coffeegrounds and alfalfa (both of which also supply
nitrogen).

Some coffeeshops will give away their grounds to gardeners. (Starbucks
has a program to do so.)

On coffee, this book I am reading describes it "mutagenic, pharmacologically
active nitrogen with h2o mixed in." Nitrogen can be at the expense of fruit
and flowers, which is why I am looking for pure potassium. I think~
potassium allows the plant cells to produce ethylene which stops stem
elongation, and develops stem thickening as well as fruition.

Nitrogen run off is also a source for algae blooms, an increasing problem,
if you ever flown in a plane and seen the green growths in rivers below.

Maybe I'll try the wood ashes.