Sometimes, our actions can do more harm than good, even when that's not intended, as one Reddit user recently pointed out.
In the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, the original poster explained that they had been struggling to understand why a tree in their yard had started to die and had recently found out that their neighbor had been pouring coffee on it because she'd heard it was good for plants.
The post received over 250 comments, with people amazed that someone would do this without asking.
"This is grounds for a lawsuit," one commenter wrote. The comments section was also full of people talking about using coffee grounds in their own gardens, and one person wondered if the neighbor had mistakenly been pouring hot coffee or coffee with milk and sugar on the plant.
Coffee grounds, when used correctly, can be an excellent alternative to chemical fertilizers, as they provide some soil types with additional nutrients. However, this depends on the type of plants you have and whether the soil is acidic or alkaline, according to The Spruce, which has more information on how to determine whether this solution is right for your garden.
Meanwhile, it's understandable why the OP was distressed by the situation.
Trees provide a lot of benefits, from producing the oxygen in the air that we breathe to helping remove pollutants and keeping our cities cooler.
Planting and caring for trees and other plants can also help improve our health by getting us to spend time outdoors. Research has shown that gardening can help combat poor mood, stress, and maybe some diseases.
Unfortunately, trees can also be a cause for disputes between neighbors, especially when the branches cross over boundary lines.
Talking to your neighbors about any issues and sharing with them why trees are important to you resolve issues before they become more serious. In this case, a conversation happily did the trick and helped debunk some misinformation.
"I asked her to stop and that's that, " the OP wrote. "She thought she was helping, and I corrected the situation."
Commenters praised the OP for how they handled the situation.
"Glad it's sorted with a little chat," one user wrote.
"I'm glad it worked out with your neighbor," another said.
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