5 Uses For Coffee In The Garden

Coffee contains around 2% nitrogen by volume and, as such, makes it an excellent source for composting. That’s one way to use the grounds, but it isn’t the only use for coffee in the garden.

Here are 5 more ways to use coffee in the garden.

1. Add it to the garden soil:

Coffee grounds can also be added directly into the garden. Some people say that they are acidic and should only be used around acid-loving plants like azaleas. Actually, the grounds are not acidic. The acidity is water soluble and ends up in the coffee, the stuff you are sipping on in the backyard while you decide what to do with the coffee grounds.

Coffee grounds are close to pH neutral and improve soil tilth and structure. Grounds can be applied directly to the base of shrubs and trees as well as worked into the top layers of flower and garden beds. Don’t forget the coffee filter! We work the unbleached paper filters right into the garden and let them decompose.

2. Sprinkle it on the lawn:

Just as a cup of Joe gives you a boost in the morning, coffee can perk up a sickly lawn. This probably requires more coffee grounds than one household can amass, but the local coffee shop will likely gladly save them for you. You use a standard fertilizer distribution for grounds in the amount of one cubic yard per 1,000 square feet. Then just dump them on the grass and spread with a push broom, covering the grass sparsely so it can still get light. Water the treated area.

3. Fertilize your plants:

Diluted coffee can also be used as a liquid fertilizer on houseplants and other plants. Remember that coffee itself is acidic, so dilute it before feeding any plants. Also, apply it to plants that favor acidity. As far as how diluted should coffee be; apparently, it should be the color of very weak tea.

4. Feed it to your worms:

Worms also go crazy for coffee grounds. Adding it to the garden will stimulate the worms’ appetites, increasing the amount of nutrient rich castings. Or you can add them to the worm bin.

5. Use it to repel garden pests:

While worms go nuts for the stuff, supposedly coffee grounds repel slugs and snails in the garden, just another handy way of using coffee in the garden.

You can also use coffee cans for planting – if you need another use!