You’ve enjoyed your pot(s) of coffee, and now you’re left with a clump of coffee grounds to dispose of.  Don’t throw them out, or worse yet, rinse them down the drain!  You’ll be happy to hear that your used coffee grounds make an excellent organic fertilizer for your garden or lawn.  Many cities, including mine, have outlawed the use of chemical fertilizers.  Misuse of these chemical fertilizers can negatively impact the water supply, as well as the condition of your soil.  You’ll also save money!  We’re already drinking coffee every day, why not take advantage of this added benefit from the coffee beans?  There are a couple of ways that you can use coffee in your garden;

• Collect the spent grounds in a large bowl or bag, and add them directly to your garden soil on a weekly basis.  Coffee is one of the few things that you can add right away, without having to compost it.  Coffee adds Nitrogen to your soil, and helps it to retain moisture for a longer period of time.  I don’t have a compost pile, so this is the method that I use.
• Add the coffee into your compost pile.  Coffee adds much needed Nitrogen to your compost, and retains moisture.  Mix the coffee into your compost pile to evenly distribute it throughout your compost.  This will boost the effectiveness of your composting efforts.

Even if you don’t drink coffee, or you only drink a small amount, you can still benefit from this natural organic fertilizer.  Just visit your local coffee shops, and let them know that you will be happy to take their grinds off of their hands.  Starbucks, and other shops, will automatically store their used grounds in a large bag.  The best part is…IT’S FREE!  Starbucks puts out large bags of grounds and they are marked “Grounds For Your Garden”.  If you haven’t seen this at your local shop, ask the employees when they usually put them out.  Another idea is to ask them to store a couple of bags for you to pick up at a scheduled time.

Coffee Ground Fertilizer BONUS…Goodbye Snails & Slugs!

You will also be pleased to learn that coffee in your garden will naturally repel unwanted pests, such as snails and slugs! Apparently, these creatures do not appreciate caffeine as much as we humanoids do! Place a mount of spent grounds around each plant to create an impenetrable barrier, and block the creepy crawlies from your flora.

Coffee Filter BONUS Tip

Keeping soil in your planters can be a challenge. Many times when you water your planter, you lose soil through the drainage holes in the bottom. To eliminate the soil loss, while allowing them to properly drain, place a coffee filter in the bottom prior to adding your soil. The filter will keep the soil in, and let the excess water out.

What are YOUR tips for using coffee in unique ways?