If you like your morning cup (or pot) of coffee, but hate to see those messy grounds in your trash, there are a couple of great alternatives for you to consider. First, coffee grounds can be a beneficial additive to your garden soil. During brewing, most of the acidity is removed, leaving grounds with an average pH of 6.9 and a carbon ratio of 20-1 (for all you garden savvy folks out there).
Most perennials love a little nitrogen, so adding some fresh coffee grounds into the soil nearby is a good way to give them a little treat. Or, you can mix it in with some leaf matter or grass clippings to make a more complex nutritional blend. Another way to use coffee grounds is to mix them with other "brown" material (leaves, etc) and put them directly into your compost pile. When used in this manner, it's best to use them within three to four weeks to capture the best nutritional value. For more information about how to use coffee grounds in the garden, check out Sunset's "Starbucks Coffee Compost Test" or visit the Starbucks Coffee Compost page.
Exploring environmental sustainability with the staff of Chippewa Nature Center.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Coffee Grounds for the Garden
If you like your morning cup (or pot) of coffee, but hate to see those messy grounds in your trash, there are a couple of great alternatives for you to consider. First, coffee grounds can be a beneficial additive to your garden soil. During brewing, most of the acidity is removed, leaving grounds with an average pH of 6.9 and a carbon ratio of 20-1 (for all you garden savvy folks out there).
Most perennials love a little nitrogen, so adding some fresh coffee grounds into the soil nearby is a good way to give them a little treat. Or, you can mix it in with some leaf matter or grass clippings to make a more complex nutritional blend. Another way to use coffee grounds is to mix them with other "brown" material (leaves, etc) and put them directly into your compost pile. When used in this manner, it's best to use them within three to four weeks to capture the best nutritional value. For more information about how to use coffee grounds in the garden, check out Sunset's "Starbucks Coffee Compost Test" or visit the Starbucks Coffee Compost page.
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We use coffee grounds regularly and being in the faraway South they are put directly into the soil. You forgot to mention one important point - earthworms love them!
ReplyDeleteSue Ellen
Harvey, LA