Coffee Grounds for garden

by donnie, coffee man
(nd)

Are coffee grounds good for anything, if so what for? Are there any nutritional values for soil or other things.

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Megan says...
Coffee grounds for the garden are simply great.
I put all coffee bean grounds I have into kitchen scrap bucket which then goes into compost or just tipped onto a patch on the ground and covered with no dig layers then planted with plants.
Worms like coffee grounds, so this encourages the worms into activity thus aerating the soil and providing oxygen to plant roots and incorporating nutrients into the soil.

In a nutshell...um beanshell, coffee grounds are acidic, so sprinkle around lemon trees and all acid loving plants, such as berries (strawberries, blueberries etc), spuds, and some of the ornamentals like roses, camellias and azaleas.
If in doubt about which plants benefit from coffee grounds, put them into compost or smaller doses into worm farm, and they will be incorporated quickly into a balanced, nitrogen rich compost to put on the whole garden. They also contain other essential plant nutrients like magnesium and calcium.

If you can get coffee grounds from a local cafe, grab them - your compost can take an almost unlimited amounted added in thick layers between coarser materials.
Some people sprinkle around snail and slug prone plants, especially if mixed with crushed egg shells or sawdust, to deter these slithering pests.

Comments for
Coffee Grounds for garden

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May 09, 2010

Plants Like Drinking Coffee Too
by: Connie

I'd just add that old brewed coffee is good for use in watering types of plants that like acidic soil. I have been using coffee exclusively to water my hydrangea. It is doing very well.

Mar 27, 2010

Slug Control
by: Dana

I collect bagged grounds from Starbucks and spread them around my lettuce transplants. Before this, the slugs were eating them to the ground. Now, the grounds keep the slugs away (the residual caffeine is fatal to them). I do have to refresh with new grounds every week or so to maintain effectiveness. The greens seem to love it.

Mar 11, 2010

Me Too
by: DBHughes

I have been using my own coffee grounds (with the filter) to add the compost bin along with the veg. peelings, egg shells/cartons, P towels etc. The Starbucks grounds go either directly on to my front lawn or into the compost bin. Don't know how much good I am doing the lawn but, it sure smells great in the morning!

Feb 14, 2010

Coffee grounds in winter?
by: hotchaiguy

Last year was my first time putting this into my compost and sprinkling amidst my veggies. So I am not aware of the benefits so far. I have been gathering Starbucks grounds a bit this winter in Indiana and layering it on top of the kitchen scraps I put them on top of my compost. This is the first time we have made the effort to shovel a path to the bin during a winter. I had risked my body a few times as I slipped and fell in the garden, but I racked this up to my desire to be one with my garden. Ha! I have cleared a longer safe route to the bins now. These scraps are more appearant during the snowy months and am using the grounds to cover them. Seems that these cause a melting of the snow beneath. I wonder if any decay will insue during winter? Any one doing this , too?