Coffee Grounds and Your Garden

When you wake up in the morning, what do many of us do? We open the cupboard, pull out a bag of our favorite brand of coffee and make a fresh brew of coffee. Once done, we discard the wet grounds, filters and bags into the trash. What if there was a way we could recycle and reuse coffee grounds as a sustainable resource? You can! Using coffee grounds in fertilizer are said to give plants more life. There are many minerals in the soil, but for plants, nitrogen is difficult to acquire which is essential in helping plants to grow. Using coffee grounds in gardens and farms not only cuts down on kitchen waste, but also enriches the soil with minerals: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, carbohydrates, vitamins and some caffeine. These help to aid in plant development which can help to keep plants and the soil from going weak and lead to insect infestation. Plants like blueberries, evergreens, azaleas, camellias, avocados and certain fruit trees can benefit that need "acid food". Rose gardeners have reported that using coffee grounds have helped make their roses more colorful and larger.

Ready to get started? Here are some ways on how to use coffee grounds in gardens. You can also visit: http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm for more testimonials and more how to:

Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.

Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.

Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.

Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.

Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests.

If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms If you are not a coffee drinker, but still want to get your hand on coffee grounds, place a coffee can in the break room at your work next to the coffee maker. Once or twice a week, empty and take home. Be sure to ask your boss if it is okay first. Another option is you can go to the nearest Starbucks close to you. Daily they have coffee grounds packaged up in a bin to take home for free. I have visited a couple of Starbucks and not all of them have spent coffee grounds available. To find out which Starbucks does, visit: www.starbucks.com. Be sure to get there early for them packages of spent coffee grounds go fast!