Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Use coffee grounds as compost
• Method 2 of 2: Using the coffee grounds for other purposes
• Tips

Tired of throwing your coffee grounds away after every cup of coffee you make in the morning? You can use your coffee grounds to make your garden bloom beautifully because of the many nutrients it contains. Coffee grounds are naturally acidic, and they contain many nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium, making it a useful addition to an alkaline or poor soil. With a little creativity, you can also use coffee grounds for other purposes in your garden.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Use coffee grounds as compost

1. Add coffee grounds to your compost. One of the easiest ways to use up any leftover coffee grounds is to add it to the rest of your compost. Not only do you add extra organic material, but the coffee grounds also accelerate the composting of the remaining material in the compost heap. You simply put your leftover coffee grounds on your compost pile, and you mix it with the rest of the compost.
   • Compost can roughly be divided into two types: "green" compost and "brown" compost. Coffee grounds are considered a green compost, just like other wet matter that is also rich in nutrients. If you add a lot of coffee grounds to your compost pile, you can neutralize it by adding some brown compost; such as dry leaves, twigs, newspapers, straw, corn palms, sawdust, cardboard, etc.
2. Sprinkle the coffee grounds directly onto the soil to increase the acidity. Coffee grounds have an acidity of about 5.1; that is quite acidic, compared to the soil in most gardens. While it may be too acidic for some plants, it is perfect for plants that require acidic soil. Just sprinkle a handful of coffee grounds near the roots of the plants at the start of the growing season to make the soil more acidic. Blueberries, cranberries, and citrus trees grow very well when coffee is added to the soil. Other plants that thrive on the acidity of coffee grounds are chamomile, gardenia and rhododendron.
   • The flowers of some plants change color when they root in acidic soil. Sprinkling coffee grounds with hydrangeas, for example, is good for blue flowers.
3. You can consider adding lime to the coffee grounds to neutralize the pH. Because, as described above, the natural acidity of coffee is unsuitable for many "average" gardens. To counter this, you can add a pinch of lime to the coffee grounds. Lime is naturally alkaline (or "basic") and reduces the acidity of the coffee grounds. This way you can add the coffee grounds directly to the soil as mulch or fertilizer.
   • Lime (often sold as "garden lime" or "agricultural lime") is a powdery substance that you can buy relatively cheaply at hardware stores and garden centers.
4. Use the coffee grounds to add nutrients to the soil. Acidity isn't the only thing coffee grounds have to offer. Coffee grounds are rich in various nutrients that are very important to keep your plants healthy. So if your garden lacks this, coffee grounds are a great choice. See below for a brief list of these nutrients:
   • Coffee grounds are rich in:
   • Nitrogen
   • Magnesium
   • Potassium
   • Coffee grounds are not rich in:
   • Phosphorus
   • Chalk
5. You can also make liquid plant food. You don't necessarily have to use the coffee grounds directly in your garden; you can also make nutritious plant food from it. You do this as follows: put a handful of coffee grounds in a bucket of water. Leave it in a cool place (such as the garage) for a day or 2. It should then look nice and amber in color. Drain the remaining coffee grounds and use the moisture to water your plants.
   • This will have the same acidity and nutrients as regular coffee grounds, so use caution if you have plants that don't need a lot of acid, nitrogen, potassium, etc.

Method 2 of 2: Using the coffee grounds for other purposes

1. Use the coffee grounds to prevent pests. Snails and slugs can eat your finest plants, and they don't like coffee grounds. Drizzle a handful of coffee grounds around the roots of the plants you want to protect. If you are concerned about the soil becoming acidic, cut a ring of coffee grounds off the stem of the plant.
   • Coffee grounds are thought to work against snails because the caffeine damages the snails.
2. Use coffee grounds to keep cats out of your yard. Coffee grounds aren't just good for minor pests. It can also be used to keep away cats that enjoy playing with your plants. In that case you use the coffee grounds in the same way as you would against snails; scatter them around the plants you want to protect. The effect of the acid depends on the amount of coffee grounds you sprinkle.
3. Use the coffee grounds as food for worms. If you have worm compost, that's a great opportunity to get rid of your coffee grounds. Worms are very fond of coffee grounds, so you can safely add large amounts of coffee grounds to your worm compost or compost pile with a lot of worms in it. Remember that the coffee grounds should be part of a balanced diet for the worms: fruit and vegetable waste, newspapers, leaves, etc. should be given to the worms along with the coffee grounds.
4. Use the coffee grounds to combat fungal diseases in plants. There are studies that show that coffee grounds can be used preventively against certain fungi that can damage plants. If you sprinkle your plants lightly with coffee grounds, you can prevent the fungi types fusarium, pythium and sclerotinia from affecting your plants. Tomato, eggplant and pepper plants are particularly susceptible to fungal infections, so coffee grounds are very suitable for these plants.

Tips

• Not sure what the pH level is in your garden? Then read our article about measuring the pH of your soil.
• If you want a steady supply of coffee grounds, connect with a cafe near you. Many cafes give away their coffee grounds for free, and they also put it in handy boxes or bags for you. If they aren't giving their coffee grounds away to someone just yet, ask them to keep it for you. The coffee grounds are usually seen as waste, and many cafes are happy to give it away.