As many of you are no doubt aware, but others may not be, coffee grounds are a good addition to your compost, or even applied directly to your garden. Although coffee beans are acidic, most of this is lost during the brewing process, and the used coffee grounds are very good for your soil. Having read that some time ago, I have begun dumping my used coffee grounds (I even break them open and shake it out of the K-cups so that it doesn't go to waste) into some cat litter containers that I have been using for planting. Prior to that, I had simply been adding it to the stuff that goes onto the compost pile but, mixed in with all the other stuff, it's impossible to determine what works and what doesn't. This spring, I found weeds growing very well in the containers that I had been adding coffee grounds to, and they were growing directly in the largely uncomposted coffee grounds themselves since composting slows considerably outdoors in a Maine winter. I added coffee grounds directly to the soil around some beans and some other plants that I planted this spring and the side of the bean garden that included coffee grounds is growing noticeably faster than the side without coffee grounds. So don't let your coffee grounds go to waste.
Thank you so much for this advice. I didn't know grounds could be used in composts. However my coffee grounds have never gone to waste because I use these for two other purposes. 1. These are good as fridge refresher, as coffee grounds absorb bad smell into one's refrigerator. 2. Another use of coffee grounds is put them into a shampoo bottle with enough hot water to cover them, let them in repose overnight and use them to rinse your hair after shampooing for an slightly litmus shine. Now I can add a third use, and who knows how many others we may find, don't you think?
Well, I have heard about the benefits of using coffee grounds into our compost pile. It is one of those situations that we talk about, but never gets done. Maybe this helpful post made by you Ken, will get the motivation going. Have to say, the picture you posted clearly shows a healthy, happy plant. Now, that is always a good thing! Oh, wow, Carlotta! What great tips on other uses for coffee grounds. I would like to try the coffee grounds to the shampoo trick. I will try almost anything to give my hair a boost of shine. I am not actually a coffee drinking, but many in the household love their coffee and I appreciate the aroma. Just wondering, if it gives the hair a scent of coffee?
Glad to hearing you can also take advantage of my tips Magalina. Answering your question, let me tell you that coffee grounds preserve some aroma that once hair dries is unnoticeable. As a word of caution keep in mind that coffee grounds rinsing may darken blonde hair if used on a regular basis for long periods of time.
I get sort of nutty with the composting. I don't do it always, but when I have coffee left over from yesterday, or cups that have been poured but not drank, as my wife and I both tend to do sometimes, setting the cup down somewhere, forgetting, then pouring another cup, I will pour the coffee onto one of my plants. It certainly doesn't hurt and probably adds something to the soil.
In our first stopover to Starbucks in the expressway, I was surprised when the kids got a pack of coffee grounds. They said it can be used to deaden the fishy smell of the kitchen. My husband got to think and he picked a few packets. What for? You are right, @Ken Anderson, coffee ground is a good mix for planting medium. Unfortunately, we are not Starbucks patrons for we don't drink coffee. Ironic? Not really, we just prefer soda. Besides, Starbucks is such an expensive place. But the real reason is... it is for young people and we do not want to be out of place. Hahahaaa.
Starbucks is far too expensive, and I don't even like their coffee very much. If I am getting coffee while driving somewhere, I'll usually go to Dunkin Donuts, but I'm not overly fond of their coffee either. I am a coffee snob, so I seldom enjoy coffee in restaurants as much as I do the stuff that I brew here at home. If I could afford it, I'd buy a roaster and try my hand at roasting the raw beans. We go through a lot of coffee here, between my wife and I, and we don't let either the grounds or the unused coffee go to waste. Unused coffee goes into the garden directly, while the coffee grounds are split between the compost and the garden, as it does seem to help a lot to add it, not directly to the plants necessarily, but near them.
I have heard. Coffee grounds may be used for so many things! I brew a pot of coffee everyday. And I always have the intention of saving them next time. But the problem is I'm not fully awake when I brew my coffee and everything I do is autopilot.
We keep an old coffee can next to the coffee pot so when we make coffee we dump the old grounds in the can. When the can gets full we add the grounds to the compost or garden. I usually get the coffee ready the night before, while I'm awake, so in the morning I just turn on the pot.
That's a really good idea! It isn't like I don't have enough empty coffee cans to be able to spare one I can't bring myself to throw them away. I'm not a hoarder by any means, I just know that there are a lot of good uses.
May I butt in again? In our recent trip to the province last month, we went to a cafe. It is a native cafe that serves pastries, hot choco and, of course, coffee. On the table was a tray of coffee beans. My husband was tinkering with the beans and a selfie followed. When the owner came to ask for our order, she said that those coffee beans are good display because they repel insects particularly mosquitoes. And when I mentioned coffee grounds, she added that coffee grounds are good odor neutralizer. You can use it to freshen the air in the room or even in the car. But coffee ground is best, according to the cafe owner, to be in the refrigerator so the smell of meat and fish will not linger.
I have also been putting coffee grounds in my plants. Starbucks in my area will give you large black trash bags of coffee grounds if you ask. I got more than I could use one time from a locl Starbucks.
No, you may not butt in! lol I'm just kidding. Especially since you have given me 2 really great tips! I'm going to try both of those. The mosquitoes are terrible around here right now. I wonder if they will work as well in the fridge as a box of baking powder. I have taken an old coffee can and have it next to the coffee maker so I can collect them and see how many of the great tips I have learned about them, will work for me. I love home remedies and tips SO MUCH.
Why not just throw your coffee grounds in the garden or flower bed areas every morning when you are finished with your coffee? For us it is just a few steps from our porch to the flower beds so we really won't be going out of our way since I pass it every morning when I take my Honey to work. I'd like to know if anyone tried using the coffee beans to banish those mosquitoes too...as here in Louisiana we have way to many of these critters!