Some of you may get a boost in the morning by drinking coffee. Did you know that you can "boost" your garden as well with coffee? Not so much the coffee, but the coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds are excellent to add to the garden or to your compost! I'm not a coffee drinker and neither is Michael. But, I just heard that Starbucks offers free coffee grounds, I guess you just have to ask for them. They even reuse the bags the beans were packaged in, reducing their waste. Ground coffee is high in nitrogen, making it a very good addition to the soil for fast-growing vegetables. Simply sprinkle it around your plants for a slow release of nitrogen. Studies have also found that coffee-grounds can help reduce the ravages of slugs and snails, and if you have ever had slugs, this is a great thing! During the winter, you can throw the grounds in the compost bin. When composting, it is considered a "green" material, remember that you want to try and keep equal ratios of green/brown material. There is no need to separate it from the filter if you are composting, because the filter should compost as well. If you worm compost, I hear the worms LOVE coffee grounds.
8 comments:
I'm so glad you posted this. I thought I had read somewhere that they were good for your garden and I think about it every time I throw my grounds out but I wasn't sure and keep forgetting to look it up. So, thanks!
My husband and I collect the used coffee and filters from our respective workplaces, along with other compostable goods, for our garden. I have taken home several bags of grounds over the years from Starbucks as well.
I've also read that coffee grounds can deter cats from using your garden beds as litter boxes.
Hi Marisa! I worked at Starbucks and yes we do, do all that you said as well as we allow gardeners to bring in 5 gallon buckets with lids and we fill them up throughout the day. I am sure if you ask your local Starbucks they would be happy to do this as well. Most days we do not through out any grounds, between the 5 gallon buckets and filling up the bags that we re-use. Thanks for sharing!
I love the coffee grounds from Starbucks! I got a few bags last year.
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I did know that about coffee grounds but I didn't know Starbucks gives them away.
I signed up to follow you and I hope you'll come over and do the same.
Cheri
I toss all my grounds into the compost, along with the paper filters too. I'll probably go back to using a permanent filter instead of the paper ones, but they do compost up nicely.
My worms LOVE coffee grounds!
Liz BigTex Worms
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