Looking for few ways to use all of those spent coffee grounds to good use during the cooler fall months? Believe it or not, instead of simply tossing the grounds into the trash, you can use them to power your soil, improve your lawn, and keep pests away!
Coffee is definitely an important morning staple for many people. This is especially the case during fall months when the iced coffees from summer are starting to fade to the background as warm, steaming cups of brew help combat the cooler mornings.
But all of those grounds that come from that coffee are valuable to gardeners. And in so many ways! And with an overabundance of coffee being made as the weather turns cooler – it’s time to put all of those grounds to great use!
Only Use Spent Grounds
Before we get started with the list, it’s important to note that these suggestions only work with spent coffee grounds. You never want to use fresh coffee grounds for a couple of reasons.
First, it would be a waste of good coffee! Second, it can get rather expensive to purchase coffee grounds just for the sole benefit of using them around your property. But most importantly of all, fresh grounds contain a higher acidity level compared to spent grounds – and that acidity can overpower or damage plants if you aren’t careful.
And even if you aren’t a coffee drinker – don’t let that stop you from getting your hands on some powerful grounds. Consider asking friends or family members who are if they will collect their used grounds for you. Most likely, they will be more than willing – if they aren’t already using them themselves!
You can also visit local coffee shops and restaurants to see if you can have their used grounds as well. Many local and chain coffee shops save grounds for those who ask – and it’s a great way to get your hands on a larger amount of grounds all at once.
4 Great Ways To Use Coffee Grounds This Fall
#1 Recharge Raised Bed Soil
An entire season of growing vegetables and flowers can really take a toll on the soil in raised beds. Not only have the plants likely depleted it completely of nutrients and resources, but the overall texture and structure of the soil has changed too.
This can make raised bed soil dry, crumbly and unable to support growing plants another season. The best way to fix this is by adding soil supplements, and spent coffee grounds are a great one!
Coffee grounds help to recharge and fertilize the soil by adding trace nutrients. At the same time, the grounds work to also help loosen the soil and improve its structure. Coffee grounds are also great for absorbing moisture which will really come in handy in the spring to keep the soil moist.
To use, simply sprinkle the grounds right on top of the soil. If you have a filter, you can bury it with the grounds a few inches down and all will decompose to help regenerate the soil. As for how much you can use, 2 to 3 of grounds per square foot is ideal – but even lesser amounts will help!
#2 Heat Up Compost Piles – How To Use Coffee Grounds In The Fall
Compost piles need a good mixture of both brown and green materials. Brown materials help to add carbon to home piles as well as plenty of organic materials and all kinds of nutrients.
Green materials, on the other hand, are full of nitrogen. Their job is to help heat compost piles up quickly so the materials can be broken down faster. As it turns out, coffee grounds are an excellent source of “green materials” – and they can power up the heat in a compost pile quickly.
Simply add your spent coffee grounds to your home compost pile. Be sure to mix the pile at least weekly if not twice a week to speed up the decomposition process.
#3 Fertilize Lawns And Improve Soil – How To Use Coffee Grounds In The Fall
Coffee grounds are not just great for raised bed soil. They are also perfect for raking into lawns to help fertilize the grass and add organic matter to the top layer of the soil.
Spent grounds are filled with phosphorus, nitrogen, and other trace minerals. These minerals are vital for healthy, lush lawns. When raked into lawns, the grounds slowly break down, leeching these nutrients into the soil – much like a synthetic fertilizer would be but without all the chemicals.
Coffee grounds are also great for earthworms. As the worms travel through the soil, they consume the easily digestible grounds. In return, they create worm castings while also working to aerate the soil at the same time. See: How To Use Worm Castings – The Best Fertilizer For Flowers & Veggies!
#4 Mosquito Repellent – Use Coffee Grounds In The Fall
Lastly, did you know that you can use spent coffee grounds as an excellent mosquito repellent? Even though the temperatures are dropping, mosquitoes are still out in full force this time of year.
While there are several commercial repellents on the market today, they all come with their own risks. Not only that, but they can get rather expensive as well! But instead, you can use coffee grounds to keep mosquitoes away and other pests like bees and wasps. This is mainly due to the fact that these pests are all repelled by the strong scent of coffee.
While spent grounds can work by themselves, their scent is even more potent when you burn them. The scent combined with the smoke produced helps to keep mosquitoes away from you and the surrounding area.
To burn coffee grounds, start with dry grounds. After making your coffee, place the grounds in a covered shallow bowl or plate to cool and dry. Once dry, burn the grounds much like you would incense on a heat-resistant plate or bowl.
Here’s to putting your spent coffee grounds to use this fall to power and protect your home instead of simply adding them to landfills!
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This Is My Garden is a garden website created by gardeners, for gardeners. Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books and speaking for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. They publish three articles every week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along!