Using coffee grounds in the garden

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Here at the Tropical Paradise, I have been using coffee grounds for several years now, and the plants love it. You can get the coffee grounds free at any Starbucks. You may wonder why I don't use manure. Although there is nothing wrong with using manure, it smells like, well, manure. The coffee grounds smell like coffee, especially right after you dump it out. The smell tones down after a day or two.

Coffee grounds make an excellent mulch and also help to acidify the soil. Here in the desert, the soil is very alkaline, so a little bit of added acidity is good. And the deep, rich brown color is just beautiful. I've read that coffee can be bad for dogs, but Macintosh, the good little wiener dog, has no interest in it, and other than tracking it around with her tiny paws, it's not a problem.

So, the next time you're at Starbucks, look for a little "trash can" with a sign that says, "Grounds for Your Garden". It's free, and would end up in landfills, anyway. I sometimes asks the barrista to bag up an extra-big bag for me. Sprinkle it on top of your soil, let it act as a mulch and it will percolate it's organic goodness down. Then sit back and enjoy the smell!

Comments

Brad Hall said…
I love that little dog!
October 12, 2010 at 2:45 PM
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