Compost Coffee Grounds And Grow A Better Garden

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Composted coffee grounds are good for flowers.

You've just brewed that perfect cup of coffee and instead of throwing the grounds in the trash, why not add them to your compost pile?

After brewing, coffee grounds absorb moisture critical to the compost pile. They are also an excellent source of nitrogen and can aid in garden pest control. Coffee grounds also help to sustain high temperatures in the compost pile which kills the seeds from weeds or vegetable material added to the pile. Let's look at ways composting coffee grounds helps grow a better garden.

 

Composting coffee grounds adds valuable nutrients

Coffee grounds contain about 2 percent nitrogen, are pH neutral and have a carbon-to- nitrogen ratio of about 20 to 1, the same range as animal manure. For composting purposes, coffee grounds should be considered "green" material, similar to grass clippings. Coffee grounds seem to be a worm's favorite food which actually adds more compost material, as well as, allowing your compost pile to breathe and absorb moisture.

Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus and other elements that aid in plant growth. Many rose gardeners have found their roses to be more colorful and larger when coffee grounds were added as mulch around the rosebushes. Vegetable gardeners have been surprised at the size of their tomatoes when mulched with coffee grounds.

 

Composted coffee grounds aid in pest control

Coffee grounds seem to be an excellent way of riding your garden of those pesky slugs and snails that seem to enjoy your favorite hostas and lilies. When their slimy foot crawls across the caffeine, the results are usually fatal.

 

Composting coffee grounds helps the environment

By recycling coffee grounds you are making a significant difference in the amount of organic material that is reused and not sent to the local landfill. Organics decompose and produce methane which is about 25 times as bad as carbon dioxide, according to waste management engineers. So by diverting coffee grounds from the landfill to a compost pile helps cut greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Compost pile construction and placement

A good compost pile should be placed in an area that receives direct sunlight for at least half the day and may consist of one part green material to two parts brown material, like leaves or sawdust. Open wire bins seem to be the best enclosures for composting with coffee grounds, as solid enclosed bins, like plastic, seem to attract fruit flies. It is a good idea to layer the coffee grounds and other materials as you build your compost pile and turn the materials with a gardening fork on a regular weekly basis. In about three or four months, the compost should be ready to add to your flower beds or garden. Since the coffee grounds break-down quickly, you may be able to use your compost in a much shorter time.

 

Composting coffee grounds even of you don't drink coffee

Even if you aren't a coffee drinker, there is probably a coffee shop owner in your local area who would give you coffee grounds. Simply take a clean five-gallon bucket with your name and phone number on the bucket and on the lid, and then arrange a convenient time to come back and pick up the filled bucket.

Using coffee grounds to aid in plant growth is actually an excellent alternative to discarding them in the garbage. You can help in the recycling efforts and you just may be surprised by how much better your garden grows.

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