What Coffee Can Do For Your Garden
Happiness is a bottomless cup of coffee
It’s the spark that gets my engine running every morning and imparts seemingly supernatural physical and mental abilities. Half way through a pot, the transformation begins to take place. Once finished a full 32oz carafe of that magical brew, I’m unstoppable! Well, more like possible to deal with.
And as sad as it is seeing the bottom of the coffee press after the last drop has been poured, those spent grounds are there to provide one final treat…for my garden!
I had been throwing the coffee grounds into the compost bin for years before learning that this organic matter can be added directly to the soil without having to go through the composting process.
What are some other beneficial properties of these spent coffee grounds I’ve been missing out on? As my researched turned up, quite a bit…
Has a Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio (or C:N) of 20:1 making it slightly green on the brown:green composting scale
Spent grounds have a pH of 6.5-6.8 – the sweet spot most plants love because it’s the pH level that makes most nutrients in the soil available to the plant
Attracts and promotes beneficial fungi, including Trichoderma. These guys take up soil real estate and push out the bad fungi that damage plants
Has been reported to repel slugs
The list would not be complete without mentioning some of the minerals it can add to your soil:
| Nutrient | g/kg coffee (processed) |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 17.8 |
| Phosphorous | 1.4 |
| Potassium | 37.5 |
| Calcium | 4.1 |
| Magnesium | 1.3 |
| Sulfur | 1.5 |
| Boron | 0.034 |
| Copper | 0.018 |
| Iron | 0.15 |
| Manganese | 0.03 |
| Molybdenum | 0.00007 |
| Zinc | 0.07 |
Now, how is that for something most people just toss in the waste basket? So after that first pot of coffee does the job perking you up, perk up your garden soil with the spent grounds!
Sources:
CoffeeResearch
University of Illinois Extension
DirtDoctor
Content is original and photos have been sourced or are open source.
Thanks for this. I've been throwing the coffee grounds into the compost bin. Are there some plants that are that benefit more from coffee grounds than others?
I’m not aware of any plants with an affinity for coffee grounds specifically. My goal is general health of the soil through increasing organic matter and promoting microbiological activity with available nutrients. Spent coffee grounds do a good job because it has a nicely balanced C:N, pH and a decent kick of macro and micro nutrients without first needing to be composted to prevent burn or mixed with other yard waste. That being said, all things in moderation and balance.
Thanks for the comment/good question! I hope this helps.
I was saving my used coffee grounds, until I read it's better to use the fresh stuff.
Using Coffee Ground Correctly
I bought a can of cheap coffee, just to spread around my raspberry canes. We'll see how they do! @ironshield
I love my garden, but the first cup's for me! ;-)
I see the grounds as a byproduct of making my cup of coffee. My research and experience suggests they are better used directly on the garden than composted, which is certainly better than having them carted off to a landfill.
If the soil needs amending, then there are most likely better products at a lower cost pound-for-pound than using fresh coffee.
I have been doing this forever, and it is also good to put your tea bags as well
Yes. I put loose tea (black & herbal) directly on the beds. Bags go in the compost as it takes a little longer to break down.
Great post! A friend just told me too the other day, that Starbucks gives away all their coffee grounds for folks to use in their gardens :) :)
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