Grinds in the Garden

Yesterday my husband came home from work with five bags of used coffee grounds that he picked up from our local Starbucks. The day before that he came home with two Soy Lattes and ten bags of grounds! I  imagine that he will bring more home again today.  Many people have heard of the benefits of using coffee grinds in their compost or garden beds.  Although I also had heard this, I had to look into it so as not to allow my husband to “over do it” and kill any of our plants!

We live in an area where our soil is very alkaline, almost like clay and full of rocks. While we have never actually measured the pH of our soil to determine what we would need to add to balance it out, we did do a little research on the internet. It turns out using as much of the grounds in our compost as possible could balance the pH and increase the amount of worms in our soil.  The more worms, the more they poop, the more poop, the better the soil, the better the soil the better the garden…. Surprisingly enough, even my indoor plants and especially my Meyer Lemon tree are enjoying the daily dose-a-Joe! This is the first winter in nine years that my lemon tree didn’t lose it’s leaves, and I wasn’t afraid I was going to lose it.

We have been composting for years and using the coffee grinds for the last year. This summer will truly exhibit the benefits of our use of grinds in the garden. For those of you who do not currently use grinds here are some ways to incorporate them into your gardening:

• Pour the bag of grounds into your compost pile and mix with the rest of your fruits, vegetables and egg shells. Remember that the coffee filters and tea bags are also great added to your compost.
• Scatter the used grounds around the base of trees and shrubs to act as a barrier against pests and as a natural repellent.
• Sprinkle grounds into garden beds before watering for a slow release of Nitrogen.
• Add to your store-bought soil for indoor and outdoor plants. You can do half coffee, half dirt to stretch the cost of the soil; your plants will thank you and so will your wallet!
• Mix grounds with water about a 5:1 water to coffee ratio to act as a natural fertilizer.
• If you have a worm farm, share with them too. They love it!

Now that you know a little more about the use of coffee grinds in the garden, I encourage you to ask for spent or used coffee grinds next time you order a coffee. Most Starbucks stores will have a composting bin offering free grinds, but if not just ask. You will be doing yourself, your garden and the environment a favor.