Coffee Grounds bring a host of nutrients to the ground such as magnesium, calcium and nitrogen thus the plants benefit very highly from the use of grounds.
Used coffee grounds are a fertilizer for your plants and a great addition to Compost piles. Coffee bring a host of nutrients to the ground such as magnesium, calcium and nitrogen thus the plants benefit very highly from the use of grounds. It also adds tremendous acidity to the soil. Certain plants thrive on soil acidity such as blueberries, rhododendrons, roses, hydrangeas, and gardenias. Granted, mixing the grounds for other plants may prove detrimental to them, thus be sure and use the online gardening hints found regarding whether or not a certain plant “likes” soil high in acidity before using. On other plants, you may need to add the grounds to grass or leaves in mulch form, as those will assist to neutralize the acid in the coffee. Other direct benefits include making the soil much easier to till, and worms seem singularly attracted to the grounds. Worms are exceedingly beneficial to compost piles ans gardens as they eat the grounds; spread the nutrients to the soil as they move through the dirt, which aerates the soil, meaning that it brings oxygen to the soil. Rooted plants need oxygen, thus they will grow much better. Different methods of using grounds for plants seem to be suggested depending on the results desired. For instance,the grounds may be very lightly sprinkled around existing plants. The plants will be nourished when you use water to bring the grounds to the plant, thereby releasing nitrogen slowly to the plant, rather than too quickly. Piles of grounds will be very injurious to the plant, depriving it of oxygen as the coffee grounds clump, thus use a few sparingly. You may also use the grounds sparingly by digging them into the ground of your plants. Do not go deeper than one inch, mixing the soil and grounds carefully then again watering the plant. If you are preparing new beds for planting, use the coffee grounds by tilling them and mixing them well in to the soil. Prior to planting, water the soil well, so that the nutrients and nitrogen is properly released into the soil. If you are trying to eradicate slugs from your garden, it is suggested that you make a circle of grounds around the plants. Some have even suggested adding eggshells that have been finely crushed to the grounds. If anthills are your gardening nemesis, mix one quart of warm water with one pound of used coffee grounds. You will, of course, use this mixture for each anthill using the entire quart each time. The final suggestion is if you do not drink coffee and thus do not have access to grounds, it’s been said that you can make your way to any Starbucks and they will gladly share their used coffee grounds with you as a gift to their loyal customers via their Grounds for Your Garden promotion begun in 1995. |
