3 ways to use used coffee grounds in the garden.

You can pick up lovely, free used coffee grounds from some coffee shops.  I got some the other day from Starbucks, but lots of other cafe's give them away too! 

Used coffee grounds have loads of benefits for the garden, they attract worms, repel slugs, snails, pests and cats, and add organic matter to the soil with improves it's moisture and nutrient levels.

Top dress acid loving plants.

The jury seems to be out as to whether your plants will love being mulched with coffee, or it will kill them.  The internet is full of articles of both opinions.  Most say a thin layer of used coffee grounds scattered around the soil of acid loving plants will benefit them.  I've sprinkled some round my tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, sweetcorn, greens, and roses.  Other plants that appreciate a little coffee are camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas.  Just don't add too much, or your soil could get too acidic and your plants really will die!    

 

Add coffee grounds to your worm composter. 

Apparently worms love used coffee grounds!  Sprinkle a few into your wormery, but only as part of a balanced worm diet, of fruit and veg peelings, shredded paper and leafy-bits.  Don't put too much in or the vermicompost (soil) in the wormery could become acidic and burn the worms skin! 

Put them in your compost bin. 

The safest thing to do with used coffee grounds is to put them in your compost bin.  This eliminates the risk of killing your plants or burning your worms.  They'll do lots of great things in there, like raise the temperature, encourage good bacteria to grow, add nitrogen and maintain moisture levels.  Coffee grounds count as a 'green' in composting, so make sure you add some 'browns' in too, like dead leaves, twigs or cardboard to keep the balance in your compost bin.

Another bonus?  My garden smells delicious at the moment!

Do you have any other garden-y uses for used coffee grounds?

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