Thursday, July 12, 2012

Save Those Coffee Grounds for the Garden!

Every day across America and the world millions of pots of coffee and tea are brewed, and the millions of pounds of wet grounds, filters and bags thrown in the trash.  How wasteful is that, my wife years ago gave me the idea of using them on my acid loving plants.
Coffee by-products can be used in the garden and farm as follows:
  • Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.
  • If you have an over abundance of grounds you can apply them directly on your lawn, very good for your grass!
  • Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance.  Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
  • Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer.  Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
  • Mix into soil for houseplants or vegetable beds.
  • Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests.
  • If you are into worm composting, feed a little bit to your worms


It is easy to collect coffee grounds from your office.  Just put an empty coffee can next to the coffee maker.  Empty once a week or as needed.  Once people get wind of what you're doing, don't be surprised if others want the grounds, too! I have also heard of people going to their local coffee house and asking them to save their used grounds as well, most of the time they are happy to get rid of them! Or ask your neighbors to save them for you as well!




Ezekiel 17:8 "It was planted in good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine.”’


Linked With:
July Harvest Tuesday 
Teach Me Tuesday 
Barn Hop #70 
Frugal Tuesday Tip 
The Garden Showcase 

18 comments:

  1. Every night we empty the grounds out of our french press - we mix them with water and either pour them directly into a flower bed or raised garden bed or into one of our composters. We never thought about bringing more home from the office - great idea - thanks for sharing!!

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  2. Starbucks put their's by their back door in our neighborhood. Just stop by and get them ....

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  3. Coffee has always been my favourite drink. It seems to boost my energy. But truly speaking, I never knew that coffee has such an amazing history. Thanks lot, for sharing it.

    serenigy coffee,slimming coffee

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  4. Hi Clint,

    Great post :) I have been composting coffee grounds and tea bags along with my kitchen scraps for ages now and I can attest to what a wonderful addition they make to your garden soil.

    If you have a Starbucks close by, ask them if you can pick up their grounds. Some will save them and put them out in a container for anyone to take, some need you to call that morning and let them know that you are stopping by. It depends on the manager and how 'environmentally friendly' they are.

    I used to pick up a couple times a week until we moved miles from the nearest Starbucks.

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  5. I've been saving my coffee grounds for a few months now--de-caf :-). I heard that they are particularly good for rose bushes.
    That's a wonderfully appropriate verse from Ezekiel!

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  6. Thank you everyone for the great tips on where to find and get coffee grounds! I am truly grateful for each of you that take the time out of your busy schedule to post on your blogs and comment with helpful hints! God Bless each of you!

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  7. I use our coffee grounds in our garden also. My Hubs is the only one who drinks coffee and he only has one cup a day so I don't get many grounds.

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    1. Sometimes we buy the cheapest store brand coffe we can to toss around things!

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  8. GREAT idea. I do this for my houseplants but I have not done it in the garden (duh!)
    glad I found you on the link-up!Emily
    www.weakandloved.com

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    1. Glad you stopped by Emily! Please commit anytime! I will hop over.

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  9. Thank you for this reminder. I need to start saving my coffee grounds and putting them to good use!

    I would love it if you would share this at my new Smart Solutions linky party. You can link up here:

    http://theprudentpantryblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/prudent-projects-smart-solutions-linky_13.html

    Have a great day!

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    1. Hello there! I will link up this and a few others!

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  10. I knew about this, but a reminder is always appreciated.

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  11. I never thought to use them in houseplants or on the grass, thanks!

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  12. I use coffee grounds a lot but hadn't realized you could put it on your grass. Now I just need to get some in bulk from the local coffee house to spread around my yard.

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  13. I use them on my houseplants too! Thanks for linking up to Make a Move Monday!

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  14. While I usually put the grounds into the compost, they do get sprinkled around some of my plants as well. I will reiterate that Starbucks gives grounds to gardeners in nicely sealed bags. We raid their bin whenever we go for a latte. Love them.

    Yael from Home Garden Diggers
    (sitting here with my second cuppa Joe for the morning)

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