Many of us have an expensive habit. It’s addictive and we will probably never give it up! What is this addictive, expensive habit? It’s drinking coffee, of course! It’s the fuel plenty of Americans run on.
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At anywhere between $4 and $6 per pound for mid-quality ground coffee – not to mention the price of coffee shop coffee – Americans are spending tons of money each year on coffee.
However, if you garden or even have a flower bed, there can be a second life for your expensive coffee habit that will make you feel better about all that money you’ve spent on it.
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As a matter of fact, there are multiple ways to use coffee grounds in your garden. That’s because coffee can range from mildly acidic to neutral in acidity. Coffee can also have as much as 2% nitrogen as well as potassium and phosphorus – all required nutrients for healthy plants! Here are some tips on how to use coffee grounds in your garden.
- Roses: Roses are the pride of many flower gardens and coffee grounds can certainly benefit them. Coffee creates an environment that attracts worms which aerate the soil while repelling pests that don’t like the smell. Coffee grounds also have a pH that roses tend to like and contain enough nitrogen to nourish them all the while. Called a “secret weapon” by some rose cultivators, there really is no secret. Coffee is a must when cultivating roses.
- Plant Food: Make a liquid plant food out of coffee grounds that your tomatoes and azaleas will love! You can do this by placing your leftover coffee grounds in a five gallon bucket with a decent amount of water and leaving it overnight. The next day, pour the water over your acid-loving plants for a boost that will have them increasing their yield.
- Mulch: Coffee grounds can be an added supplement to your mulch. Adding about a ½ inch layer of coffee grounds to the top of your mulch can repel insects, slugs and keep pests and cats away from your garden. Coffee also has a good amount of required nutrients that plants need to flourish.
- Hydrangeas: Did you know that coffee grounds can help you manage the color of your hydrangeas? Many people desire a blue hydrangea, but if the soil is too alkaline, the blooms will be pink instead. Coffee grounds can add enough acidity to naturally change the shade of the hydrangeas to a perfect tone of blue.
- Fungus Fighter: Science is an incredibly complex entity. Fungus fights fungus…just like antibiotics were originally found in mold and can defend us from bacteria that actually used to kill humans. The mold and fungus that develop living colonies in decaying coffee are actually superior to some common fungal infections that can damage or even kill your plants. In essence, coffee is a fungus fighter that kills harmful fungus that may destroy your plants.
Knowing multiple ways to use coffee grounds in your garden can help you take an expensive substance that most of us have in our homes and use it in a way that eliminates waste while benefiting our gardens.
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