Why use spent coffee grounds in the garden?

Question

I see them in Starbucks and have heard before that used coffee grounds are good for the garden, does anyone know why?

Answer 1

Coffee grounds added to your soil do what is called "amending" it. They help break up clay like soils and make them fluffier and lighter. They also help more nutrients bind to the soil.
It is very easy to improve poor soil condition if you make compost from kitchen scraps. Just save vegetable peels, apple cores, egg shells and coffee grounds and put them in a container in the yard somewhere. This container should get some air. Add a shovel full of soil on top and some dry matter like leaves or straw. You can dampen it slightly and then let the action of decomposing create what gardeners call " black gold". When you do this after a few weeks all the green waste mixes with the soil and dry matter and water and makes perfect soil for you to add to your garden. We add a shovel full to holes when we plant and also "top dress" plants with it . ( scoop some out of your compost bin and spread it around the base of the plant). It is loaded with good things for your flowers and veggies and you get twice the value of the money you spent on produce by making it work for you all the way to the end of it's life cycle.

Answer 2

It's an organic fertilizer.. It would be better though to let it turn into compost first. Microorganisms will break it down into nutrients for the soil. Also don't just limit it to coffee grounds. Use fruit and vegetable waste as well such as banana peels, carrot tops, etc. Basically any part of a fruit or vegetable that you don't use, or ones that have gone bad. One major benefit of composting is a way for you to stop using your garbage disposal as it really isn't necessary. If you continue to use it it will just cost you more money to have to constantly get it unclogged. Stop using it and put all that stuff in your garden

Answer 3

Coffee Grounds are good for the soil because they are very coarse and decompose slowly in the soil and helps to aerate the soil. Egg shells are also great to use as well.

Answer 4

Coffee grounds enrich the soil, & when mixed into the soil, makes it less subject to compaction... which makes it a better environment for earthworms & for the organisms that keep a plant healthy. The earthworm's movement within the soil also help improve drainage, which keeps the plant roots from rotting. Put a layer of coffee (grounds) on the bottom of your pile to attract earthworms.
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/faq.html

A lab test analysis showed that: "the grounds provide generous amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper.
They also release nitrogen into the soil as they degrade."
The full report is here:
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/edible/article/0,20633,1208232,00.html

It's good for acid-loving plants, like Roses, Azaleas & blueberries. I lightly sprinkle the grounds around the base of these plants to deter slugs, also. You can scratch it into the soil so it doesn't compact when it has accumulated. It also helps the soil retain moisture.

Since the grounds are acidic, when using around non-acid loving plants, mix a tablespoon of garden lime into a five pound bag before you dig them into your garden or just put the grounds on the compost pile. "In the garden, mix at a rate of five pounds per three square feet. For composting, mix at a ratio of five pounds per three cubic feet of yard."
http://www.walterreeves.com/tools_chemicals/article.phtml?cat=22&id=86

Rose gardeners reported coffee grounds make their roses larger & more colorful. Adding it to compost piles increases nitrogen balance. Encircling plants with coffee grounds & eggshells makes a barrier to repel pests.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/181467/coffee_grounds_and_your_garden.html
Good luck! Hope this was helpful.

Answer 5

Not very good for MOST flowering plants---CAN slow or stop the flowering process, as the grounds help with leaf & stem growth.

Better for GREEN OR LEAFY PLANTS & BUSHES.

Something to do with the acid levels but I'm not that technical--just know that I put it on my tomatoes & they formed NO fruit.

Answer 6

Hi there,

It should not be used on alkaline soil, but if you have acid soil it will be fine to use. How about sticking to fertilizers to be on the safe side.

1. Acid soil:

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/g/AcidicSoil.htm

2. Alkaline soil:

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/g/AlkalineSoil.htm

Answer 7

compost every thing vegetable for a great garden

Answer 8

I heard that it is good for roses. It helps them grow .

Answer 9

yes good as mulch in the soil. very common practice.

Answer 10

Because it will keep your vegetables from falling asleep.