Yes, coffee shops in Staunton, VA and Augusta county are finally open! Here at The Coffee Cave, we're celebrating by talking about one of our favorite rites of spring.
Gardening!
Last year, we wrote a post, “Why Use Coffee Grounds for Gardening,” in which we talked about the many uses of used coffee grounds in your garden.
This year, we thought we’d focus on the plants that love coffee grounds, and how to prepare the grounds for gardening. So, let’s get started.
Which Plants Like Coffee Grounds?
Nature is keeping her secret on why some of her acid-loving plants welcome coffee grounds and others don’t.
Composting is another valuable way to feed your plants. Divided equally into thirds, put coffee grounds, grass clippings and dried leaves into a compost bin.
These flowers welcome coffee grounds and will reward you with hardy blooms:
Hydrangeas
Rhododendrons
Azaleas
Madienhair Fern
Roses
Vegetables that love it are:
Blueberries
Carrots
Radishes
Lettuce
Radishes
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, some potassium, and phosphorus, as well as micronutrients, which is why so many plants like it.
It turbo charges their growth!
Which Plants Do Not Like Coffee Grounds?
The acid-loving African Violet doesn’t do well with used coffee grounds, so steer clear! And these flowers don’t like it either. The grounds inhibit their growth.
Asparagus Fern
Chinese Mustard
Italian Ryegrass
Geranium
And vegetable gardens? Coffee grounds in the vegetable garden are a plus for most plants, but tomatoes don’t like it.
3 Ways to Prepare Used Coffee Grounds for Plants
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, some potassium, and phosphorus, as well as micro- nutrients, which is why so many plants like it. It turbo charges their growth!
Here are three ways to prepare your coffee grounds for vegetable and flower gardens.
To use grounds as a fertilizer, add it directly to your garden. Just scratch it into soil, not more than a couple of inches deep.
Another way to use the grounds is to make a “tea.”
Start by adding two cups of used coffee grounds into a 5-gallon bucket of water. Then let the mixture steep for a few hours or overnight.
Now you have a liquid fertilizer!
Composting is another valuable way to feed your plants. Divided equally in thirds, put coffee grounds, grass clippings and dried leaves into a compost bin.
Don’t have enough leaves or clippings? Use shredded paper coffee filters. You want the
compost to take on a soil-like appearance and a nice earthy aroma before you use it.
This can take up to three months or longer. So, it’s best to start early before Spring arrives.
Once they are dry, store in air-tight plastic or metal container. Place them in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready for use.
But how do you add compost to an existing flower bed? Work it around the plants in two to three-inch layers. For new gardens, you’ll want to spread the compost across the space and mix it in with a garden fork first.
Once they are dry, store in air-tight plastic or metal container. Place them in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use. Allow it to dry.
If you aren’t going to use your fresh coffee grounds right away, store them! Here’s what you do. Get a baker’s tray and cover it with dry newspaper. Use about six sheets.
Lay the coffee grounds over the newspaper about 2-3 inches thick. Then place the tray in a sunny spot in your house with good air flow and allow it to dry.
You’ll want to replace those newspaper strips every other day. Be sure to mix up the grounds so that the wetter grounds on the bottom get moved to the top.
Once they are dry, store in an air-tight plastic or metal container. Place them in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready for use.
Gardening is a great way to get outside, enjoy nature, and to feel connected to Mother Earth. Enjoy a cup of gourmet coffee and then get your hands in the dirt!
Once the world returns to some kind of normal, stop by and see us at Jake’s Convenience and The Coffee Cave.
