If you’re enjoying long sunny mornings sipping your favourite espresso outdoors, don’t toss those used coffee grounds just yet. Summer is prime gardening season, and your lawn and garden could benefit from what’s left in your filter.
Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, an essential nutrient that helps plants thrive. Instead of buying commercial fertilizers, many gardeners are turning to this natural option to improve soil health and give their plants a seasonal boost.
Why Coffee Grounds Are Good for Your Garden
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, a vital nutrient that supports photosynthesis – the process by which plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into energy. Nitrogen also helps improve soil structure when composted or lightly worked into the soil, allowing roots to spread and access nutrients efficiently.
This is especially useful during hot summer months when your lawn and garden are working hard to stay lush and green. Adding nitrogen-rich coffee grounds can support their growth and resilience in the heat.
How to Use Coffee Grounds on Your Lawn
Using coffee grounds as fertilizer is simple. After brewing your coffee - whether using an espresso machine or other types of coffee makers - let the grounds cool and dry. Then, sprinkle a thin, even layer – about half a cup per square yard – across your grass. Water the area lightly to help the grounds settle into the grass thatch.
As the coffee grounds break down, they release nitrogen gradually, improving soil texture and inviting earthworms to aerate your turf naturally. For best results, scatter coffee grounds monthly throughout the growing season, which for most lawns spans from spring through early fall.
Caution: spread the coffee grounds thinly and evenly. Clumps can form a crust that repels water, preventing moisture from reaching the roots and potentially harming your grass.
Using Coffee Grounds in Your Garden Beds
Coffee grounds aren’t just for your lawn – they’re also great for garden beds. Scatter the grounds over the soil or mix them into the top few inches to give plants an easy nitrogen boost.
Alternatively, add your used coffee grounds to your compost pile. Once the compost is ready, work it into your garden soil as a balanced natural fertilizer. Composting coffee grounds helps neutralize their acidity and prevents them from compacting in the soil, ensuring air and water can still reach plant roots.
Plants That Like Coffee Grounds
Many plants thrive with coffee grounds, especially acid-loving varieties, such as Hydrangeas or Lilies.
The slight acidity of coffee grounds helps maintain the soil pH these plants prefer. Simply mix dried grounds into the topsoil around them.
Edible plants also benefit from the nitrogen coffee grounds provide. Summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and lettuce enjoy the extra nutrition. Other plants that respond well include blueberries, blackberries, carrots, potatoes, sweet peas, and roses.
However, it’s important to remember that coffee grounds should supplement other fertilizers rather than replace them entirely. While they provide nitrogen, they don’t contain all the nutrients cropping plants need to produce healthy yields.
Plants That Don’t Like Coffee Grounds
Not all plants are fans of coffee grounds. Plants preferring alkaline soils, such as lavender, leeks, lilacs, rosemary, sunflowers, thyme, and achillea, may not respond well to this acidic addition.
Furthermore, some plants are sensitive to caffeine, even though used coffee grounds contain minimal amounts. Repeated use can cause stunted growth in plants like asparagus, geraniums, Russian sage, and yucca. Avoid using coffee grounds near these varieties to keep them healthy.
Summer Gardening and Your Morning Brew
Summer is a busy time for lawns and gardens, with long days of sun encouraging rapid growth – and, let’s be honest, requiring extra care to stay green and vibrant. Whether you’re trimming the grass before an outdoor gathering or tending to your tomatoes for fresh salads, coffee grounds offer an easy, eco-friendly way to fertilize without harsh chemicals.
Next time you finish your morning espresso or iced Americano, think twice before throwing away the grounds. Your garden will thank you with healthier soil and stronger plants to carry you through the season.
Make the Most of Your Coffee, For You and Your Garden
If you’re going to nourish your garden with coffee grounds, make sure you’re brewing the good stuff. Faema carries a wide selection of premium coffee beans to keep your summer mornings delicious and your used grounds nutrient-rich.
If you've enjoyed reading this article, discover five other ways to reuse your used coffee grounds in our previous post. From gardening to home hacks, there’s no shortage of creative ideas to make your coffee go further.
Shop Faema’s collection of Italian and local coffee brands to elevate your daily brew. Your garden will get the benefits, and you’ll get the perfect cup to enjoy while admiring your thriving lawn and garden beds. Happy Summer!
