In the age of greener practices and composting scraps, it can be difficult to know what to do with all the waste that we have at home, and for those who love coffee, there is little that we have more of at home than coffee grounds. They can be repurposed in a million ways, like as smell absorbents, body scrubs or even fabric dying material, but there is one area of the house that you may not have thought of using them and that is your garden.
And we are not just referring to dumping your coffee grounds into your compost bin and mixing them in to what will become soil, we are talking about just using them as is (after extracting all the caffeine goodness that we need to get up in the morning) and putting them on your plants.
Why coffee grounds can be a great addition to your lawn
Fertilizing your lawn and your garden is important. While we do not grown intensive crops and plants that strip the ground from nutrients like those in agriculture, it is still something that needs to be added in since we are the ones tending to pour patch of green. One of the most important things that the ground needs to be fertile is nitrogen, closely followed by phosphorus, and potassium.
These nutrients will ensure that your garden is more resistant to weeds, diseases and weather elated disasters, as the soil will be in prime condition to withstand the beating. Since nitrogen is the most important of the nutrients mentioned, it is important to give it to your lawn for it to thrive, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by using coffee grounds, as they contain a small amount of nitrogen, about 2.5% to 3% of their total content. Plus, it is a slow-release source of nitrogen, which reduces the chance of leaf burn in comparison to quick-release synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.
Used coffee grounds also help support soil-dwelling microbes essential to maintaining a healthy lawn ecosystem, which is really important as microbial interaction enhances soil structure, supports moisture balance, and promotes better drainage. All these qualities are very important when it comes to contributing to a healthier lawn, and since studies have found that coffee grounds to rival, and in some cases outperform other types of natural fertilizers, it is a no brainer to use them.
Although not in as big quantities, coffee grounds also provide trace amounts of phosphorus and potassium, the other two main nutrients for a healthy lawn, along with other valuable micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, and copper that are often absent in commercial fertilizers, and since their pH tends to be close to neutral, they are unlikely to alter your soil’s natural acidity. Having said that, it only works with used grounds. If you use freshly ground coffee you will disrupt your soil’s pH and negatively affect plant growth, as it is very rich in nutrients. It is better to wait until you have consumed most of the harsher chemicals.
Using them is easy, especially if you use them to compliment other actions that improve your lawn, like grass clippings, pine needles, or wood chips. If you plan on using them as mulch, be sure to blend them properly so that there are no large clumps, but otherwise you should be able to have a healthier garden easily. The important thing is to not overapply them, as they can compact and create a crust that stifles airflow and water penetration.
But the best way to ensure that you are using them correctly is to mixing the grounds directly into the soil is even better, as this ensures even distribution and reduces the risk of pets or wildlife consuming them, which can be harmful.