The Espresso Explorer

Coffee shop & eatery reviews for visitors to live like a local.

  • Home
  • Blog
    • Explore Coffee Shops
    • Explore Eateries
    • Explore Coffee Products
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
  • Home Barista Essentials

How to Recycle Used Coffee Grounds

April 14, 2020 by Monica Preston Leave a Comment

Just so you know, we may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. We have a full affiliate disclosure that you can find under here.

It’s no secret we love coffee, well at least I do and if you’re reading this then you must have some degree of love for it. Living in the Pacific Northwest for almost 16 years of my life, you learn quickly about organic gardening. One of the tricks I learned was how to recycle used coffee grounds.

It helped that my mom also had her own compost she used to grow an amazing garden. I’m also convinced that her compost is the main reason that no plant under mom’s watch dies. Me on the other hand, I’m lucky to keep my spider plant alive. It’s probably because I haven’t given any of my plants coffee.

Wait. Wut. Coffee?

Yep, coffee. Just like you your garden LOVES coffee. I discovered this amazing organic magic secret back in the early 2000s when I was tending to my beloved hydrangeas. After adding used coffee grounds to the soil, the colors would actually change on the petals!

So how does this magic happen?

Coffee grounds add additional acidity to the ground. It’s this chemical reaction that allows the plant to absorb additional aluminum in the soil. The affect of this absorption creates a magnificent blue color. Now, don’t go thinking you can turn your bright pink blossoms into blue overnight; but you can change them to a purple color and make a pale blue even bluer.

Other Ways to Recycle Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are like the superfood of the garden. If you’re striving to keep your garden organic, coffee is a great way to keep your garden pesticide free. Here are some ways to recycle coffee grounds in the garden:

  • Add to your compost – make sure you’re using unbleached filters (if you use them) so you can just through the filter and grounds right into your compost pile. Adding grounds to your compost makes a haven for worms, keeps the ideal temperature of your compost, and creates a nitrogen rich soil for planting. Recent studies have shown compost that contained coffee grounds produced the fewest greenhouse gases and the best quality.
  • Mix for mulch – adding grounds to your mulching agent will give a touch of color to your flower beds along with adding vital nutrients like magnesium, calcium and potassium among many other nutrients. Avoid using all grounds in your beds because they don’t allow the max amount of water to the roots.
  • Slug and snail repellant – the high acid content along with the gritty texture will help protect your plants from these garden pests. Just line your beds with them and it will deter snails and slugs during the wet months.
  • Fertilizer – make a coffee “tea” by steeping two cups of grounds with 5 gallons of water overnight and use as a fertilizer. Spray or ‘feed’ to your plants in place of your store bought fertilizer.

Where Can I Find Used Grounds?

This might seem pretty obvious to those of us that consume, oh, a pot or more a day. #dontjudge But seriously, if you’re not a coffee drinker, no sweat. Local roasters would be happy to save some for you! Organic is best, but really any coffee grounds will do. Or better yet, get to know your neighbors and hang a sign on your mailbox or at the local grocery store bulletin board (if those even exist anymore). I’m sure many folks will gladly save them for you and who knows, maybe you can start a community garden! Stay tuned because I’ve got some more ideas up my sleeve on how to recycle used coffee grounds coming up!

Follow me on Instagram and get some insight into my coffee obsession or on Facebook if you want to geek out with me over coffee. You won’t regret it! Oh, and if you want to grab your own coffee so you can have your own grounds to use you can order here!

What are some creative ways you’ve used coffee grounds? Share in the comments!

Have you grabbed your FREE copy of the Roast and Brew Guide? It’s packed full of how to find the perfect roast, grind, brew, and even some bonus content of how to pair your coffee with food! Let’s stay in touch!

Related posts:

  1. What is Raw Honey – A Taste Review
  2. A Review of the Belize City & Rum Factory Tour
  3. Ninja Coffee Bar – Best Auto Drip on the Market
  4. Mother’s Day Gifts Mom Will Love

Filed Under: Explore Coffee Products Tagged With: coffee

« Best Brunch for Girlfriends in Las Vegas
5 Ways to Support Local Restaurants During a Pandemic »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS

Don’t miss a post!

Sign up for the Coffee Chronicles for the latest in trendy coffee brewing, new local coffeehouses, and my favorite coffee companies! Subscribe to the monthly Coffee Chronicles and get your FREE signed copy of the Coffee Roast & Brewing E-Book!

Did you click the box just above? If so, your signed copy is just a few moments away! #nowaitinginlinehere

Coffee Roast and Brew Guide by The Espresso Explorer

The Recipe Box

Recipes from The Espresso Explorer

Let’s connect online!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Resources

Home Barista Essentials

Copyright © 2021 · Delightful theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 · Delightful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.