Can i compost coffee grounds

I decided to sort the facts from the hype and find out just how beneficial — or otherwise — coffee grounds are in the garden. Using free coffee grounds seems like the perfect solution, but some gardeners have found that using coffee grounds directly on the soil has had a disastrous effect on plants. However this seems to be linked to using thick blankets of it to mulch around plants and over seeds.

The reason for this could be that coffee beans contain caffeine, which is said to suppress the growth of other plants to reduce competition for space, nutrients, water and sunlight. How much caffeine actually remains in used coffee grounds is debatable, and some plants will be more sensitive to caffeine than others.

It would be sensible to avoid spreading coffee grounds around seeds or seedlings as they may inhibit germination and growth. There is a more obvious reason why using coffee grounds alone for mulching could be detrimental.

Like clay soil , coffee grounds consist of very fine particles that are prone to locking together. This turns them into a barrier that will resist water penetration and eventually result in plants dying of thirst.

Additionally, natural paper filters can control any unpleasant odors and increase oxygen levels in your compost pile. No matter what type of filter you choose to use and compost, there are a few things to keep in mind. Additionally, you should avoid adding too many at once, as this could throw off the nutrient balance in your compost.

Wondering how to compost coffee pods? Simply throw the pod into your pile after brewing, and it will break down over time. No matter how you make your coffee or manage your composting pile, adding coffee grounds can benefit you, your garden, and the environment. Our team is happy to help you start living a cleaner, greener life. No products in the cart. According to several sources, coffee grounds have been found to contain not only nitrogen, but also trace elements of phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and copper.

All of these minerals provide important nutritional benefits for growing plants. Coffee grounds are also known to be very attractive to worms, which makes them an ideal addition to vermiposting worm bins.

Coffee grounds can also be placed directly into your garden. While nitrogen allows for large growth in plants, it can also inhibit the ability for the plant to flower or set fruit. If you choose to amend your soil with coffee grounds, make sure to incorporate them well into the soil. There is some anecdotal evidence that suggests that used coffee grounds can also aid in repelling garden pests, such as snails and slugs.

So go on, brew yourself another cup, save your grounds, and dream about your summer garden. You can also use your old coffee grounds and tea bags as a valuable component part of your compost, to help your plants bloom this summer season. A great way to stop your coffee grounds reaching a landfill is to make use of them in your garden. Composting coffee grounds helps to add nitrogen to your compost pile, and is as simple as chucking the used coffee grounds onto your compost pile.

Not only can you throw your used coffee in the old compost heap, but you can even use old coffee filters so long as they are not made of wholly synthetic materials.