Put that daily coffee to good use. Used coffee grounds, which would generally take up space in landfill, can be a great addition to your compost. Composting coffee grounds will add nitrogen to your compost pile. Along with many other benefits to help your garden flourish.
Coffee grounds can be used as a fertiliser by spreading them straight onto the soil. They add organic material to the soil, as well as improving drainage, water retention and aeration in the soil. This will attract microorganisms, such as earthworms, that will encourage plant growth. Be cautious as to what plants you are spreading coffee grounds over as some plants are more sensitive to caffeine. A large amount of coffee grounds straight onto seeds or seedlings may inhibit growth.
Unwashed coffee grounds are acid. Many vegetables like slightly acidic soil, root crops like radishes and carrots react well to it. Coffee grounds are an excellent growing medium for mushrooms. Tomatoes, however, do not respond well to acidic soil. If you wash the coffee grounds this can neutralise them and give them a neutral pH level of 6.5.
There are claims used coffee grinds in your garden can keep certain garden pests away. Coffee grounds can deter slugs and snails away from plants. It is thought that the caffeine remaining in the coffee grounds negatively affects molluscs so they continue to avoid soil containing coffee. There are also theories that used coffee grounds in soil can act as a cat repellent, keeping cats from using your garden as a litter tray.
They are great in worm bins too, if you vermicompost. Worms thrive on coffee grounds. Adding small quantities regularly would benefit your worm bin. Coffee filters can also be added.
