Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With coffee grounds and eggshells,
And espresso beans all in a row...
As a quarantine-induced beginner gardener, I knew very little about the do’s and don’ts of gardening. I did know, however, that as a “multiple-cups-a-day” coffee drinker, I often see my used coffee grounds piling up in the trash can (and it never fails to fill the kitchen with thick aromas until trash day). Who would’ve thought that the leftover blob from my morning 11th Hour coffee was really a nutrient-packed gem that could be put into my garden to help my kale grow! Composting your used coffee grounds can be a great way to decrease your waste production as well as provide your soil with a natural fertilize
Here are some reported benefits to adding coffee grounds to your garden:
- Coffee grounds act as organic matter and promote the growth of microorganisms.
- The coarseness of the grounds improve water drainage as well as air circulation in the soil.
- Coffee grounds provide soil with long-living nutrients (such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper).
- Coffee grounds can fight off fungal disease before it reaches your plants.
- Adding grounds to the surface of your garden can help repel slugs and snails (and even neighborhood cat intruders)!
Although the process is simple, there are ways to go about composting coffee grounds that will ensure the best outcome for your garden. Here are some basics you should know before you start gardening with coffee grounds:
- It is recommended to add dry leaves or other yard waste to your compost bin whenever you plan to garden with coffee grounds in order to balance the acidity and nitrogen levels. Your compost should be around ⅔ dry leaves to ⅓ coffee grounds.
- Mixing leftover eggshells with your grounds creates a rich fertilizer to add to soil.
- Some nitrogen-loving vegetable plants that will benefit the most from the nitrogen-filled coffee grounds include most leafy vegetables (as well as tomatoes and corn).
- Flowers such as hydrangeas, roses, and azaleas will also thrive in the nitrogen-rich soil.
- When adding coffee grounds directly to the soil only add a very thin layer.
Not a gardener, but want to reduce your waste production and reuse your coffee grounds? You can fertilize your lawn and make your grass greener by simply adding half a pound of used coffee grounds to five gallons of water and dispersing this mixture across your lawn!
Happy brewing, drinking, and fertilizing!
