Brewing Green

Giving Your Plants a Caffeine Boost with Used Coffee Grounds
 
Coffee grounds can be repurposed as a natural fertilizer, a sustainable gardening hack and a green ritual for both you and your plants. They are a great addition to compost, providing nutrient-rich soil for plants to thrive. Coffee grounds have a high nitrogen content, wet organic matter, potassium, and phosphate. They can be safely used in gardens by adding them to compost containers or worm bins.

Composting is essential for good soil and plants, and coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient when mixed with dry and woody waste. A balanced mix is essential for good composting, and the nutrients from coffee grounds are recycled back into soil when used as mulch or compost.

Coffee grounds are suitable for acid-loving plants like hydrangeas and nutrient-hungry plants like roses. They are also known to repel slugs and can be used around hostas. However, caffeine in coffee grounds can stunt plant development and prevent seedlings from germinating. Dogs may become poisoned by caffeine, so it is recommended to place the grounds in compost bins or bury them underground instead of spreading them on the ground.
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Geraldine Fitzpatrick