Coffee grounds are an excellent source of organic fertiliser and nutrients for your plants! After brewing a steaming pot of our Arabian Coffee and enjoying a cup (or two), you can use the left over grounds at the bottom of your pot in your garden.
Coffee grounds are an excellent source of organic fertiliser and nutrients for your plants! After brewing a steaming pot of our Arabian Coffee and enjoying a cup (or two), you can use the left over grounds at the bottom of your pot in your garden. 1. Arabian Coffee Grounds in Compost!
Coffee grounds are relatively rich in Nitrogen (a key compound for the symbiotic bacteria in the soil to convert organic matter into usable compost) and they also contain many other essential minerals like Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Phosphorus. A perfect blend of micro-nutrients for excellent quality compost. Compost is usually best made up of 50% brown organic matter and 50% green organic matter. Coffee grounds are a bit of an oxymoron. Even though they are brown in appearance they are actually classed as GREEN organic matter due to their Nitrogen content. Brown organic matters are carbon rich such as dried leaves or old newspaper.
2. Arabian Coffee Grounds as Fertiliser
As a dry fertiliser they can be placed directly onto the soil around your plants to increase water retention, improve plant drainage and give the symbiotic microorganisms in the soil a helping hand. However, as coffee grounds are made up of many fine particles they are prone to clumping together and can act as barrier to water. This will lead to the opposite of the desired effect and actually dry your plants out. To prevent this from happening you can mix the grounds into the first layer of soil with your fingers or a garden tool if you prefer.
There is some debate as to whether coffee grounds are acidic and harmful to plants. If you are worried you can rinse the left over coffee grounds before use and they will have a near neutral pH. Bear in mind that the Nitrogen content in the coffee grounds are likely not sufficient enough to replace the traditional Nitrogen based fertlisers that you usually use. Usage benefits include water retention, improved drainage and feeding of useful bacteria.
3. Arabian Coffee Grounds as a natural pesticide
There are two theories in regards to how coffee grounds can keep pests away. One is that coffee grounds are abrasive and can act as a physical barrier to unwanted plant munchers like slugs and snails. The other is that the caffeine content repels the pests away. They're still up for debate but there is no harm in trying. Anything to keep the slugs from eating your fresh produce.
4. Arabian Coffee Grounds in your worm bin
Worms apparently live for left over coffee grounds and you can safely add a small amount to you worm bin every 1-2 weeks.
Warnings: Coffee and pets
Just a slight word of warning if you have a pet that eats anything and everything, avoid placing the coffee grounds on soils they are likely to reach and eat as pets are quite sensitive to the effects of coffee and caffeine.