When you are done brewing a pot of coffee, do you typically toss those used coffee grounds in the trash? Well next time, don’t. Coffee grounds can actually be one of your best friends in the garden, and can help you grow plants that are healthy and strong. Let coffee grounds make your job easier, take a peek below at 5 ways to use coffee grounds in your garden. You may be surprised at how versatile this item is!
5 Ways to Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden
1. Make a worm farm.
Why on earth would you want a worm farm? Worms will turn and aerate your soil for you, making less work for you. In a bucket, add some soil, your coffee grounds, and a few worms. The worms will love it. Then, just add the mixture around your plants and the worms will do the rest. Here are tips for starting a worm garden.
2. Pump up your compost.
Coffee grounds are chock full of nitrogen. This nitrogen is what your compost bin needs to be at its best. When you are done with the coffee grounds, simply pour them in and give the compost a good stir. Here are more composting tips.
3. Make pests take a hike.
You can sprinkle coffee grounds around the perimeter of your garden and flowers beds so pets won’t want to cross it. Slugs, snails, and other bugs won’t want to climb over the acidic mixture and instead will head over to the neighbors house! To further reduce pests, here are ways to attract beneficial insects.
4. Make your own fertilizer.
You can add ½ cup of coffee grounds per 1 gallon of water. Mix well. Allow the mixture to sit for about 24 hours and “brew.” You can then pour it directly onto the base of your plants. They will love sipping on this homemade fertilizer and it won’t pose any harm to children or plants playing in the yard. Here are more organic fertilizers.
5. Fight off fungus.
Coffee grounds can help fight off various types of fungus that can grow on your plants. To enlist their help, all you need to do is sprinkle the grounds directly into your soil. As the grounds break down in the soil, they will help fight various molds and fungus colonies that could be at war against your plants.
Coffee gives you a pick me up each day, now let it pick up your plants! Try some coffee grounds in your garden today and see what results you can come up with.
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- How to Garden for {Nearly} Free
ken crowne says
Hi Katie,
Gardeners should be aware that their local starbucks and mc donalds are great places to stop by and meet the manager, and place a special garbage can just for grounds. If you have a large production garden, this is an awesome way to add and amend to your stuff. I have gotten well over 100 lbs free of charge, and my soil, worms, and compost LOVE it.
Thanks for ”grounding” us with good solid information. It was a real pick-me-up. !!!!
Jeri says
I like this knowledge. Is it possible to have too much coffee grounds?
Linda says
I use coffee grounds for my azaleas and rhododendrons. They like the acidity soil. Will also keep critters away.
Danielle says
Local coffee shops are better sources for coffee grounds than chains, in my experience. Most chains are not allowed to hive away waste products of any type, even if it’s not for human consumption.
Also,I’ve been vermicomposting for seven years. Composting worms (red wrigglers) should never be added to your garden. If you’re using garden worms, great! But composting worms are not part of your native ecosystems and should stay in the vermicomposting bin. But they do love coffee. Mine go through it like crazy!!
Bev says
I love thithese ideas to use coffee grounds for my plants!! How do I email this to friends?????
Colette Steinorth says
Put used coffee grounds in a mole, vole or gopher hole. Water it to make mushy mess cover with dirt. They do not like it and if you keep it up critters will go somewhere else
Barbara Koepke says
Want to learn all I can. Thank you
marilyn says
Marvelous hints thankyou. hope neighbours will be happy with extra pets.
Carol says
Great ideas I can’t wait to start my gardening.
Kay says
Our worms are dancing to the tune of “Hello Darling” by Conway Twitty. Their favorite meal is coffee with compost and fresh garden greens.
Gina Plain says
Does it make any difference if the coffee is decaf?
steve says
I had bad black mould and scale on my gardenias, whenever I make a plunger pot of coffee I top the pot up with water and water the gardenias with this. The black mould and the scale are no longer a problem. I think due to the mix repelling the ants that farm the scale insects.