A lot can happen over Coffee ..

Coffee Grounds : 3 minutes read

Author                : Viji Ganesh


A lot can happen over coffee. And one of them is Compost.

While attempting to list down the benefits and usage of coffee grounds as a soil amendment could not ignore the striking similarities between Coffee and Compost.

Let me get that out of the way to stay focused on the original intent of this note.😇

1. C for C  -  a rather juvenile one but nonetheless...2. Both are addictive 3. Coffee and Compost both are best when Hot or Cold 4. Both require a certain amount of passion for best results
5. Both are Emotions.6. Lingering fragrance 7. Stimulating  8. Beautiful Brown shade 9.The grainy texture.10. Allow percolation.

Hope those who are passionate about coffee and compost will understand this gushing. For the rest, not your cup of tea!

Whether you make your daily coffee and end up with coffee grounds or wonder what happens to all the coffee grounds at coffee houses, kiosks, cafe's, offices - composting your coffee grounds is a simple way to use them up which would otherwise end up in the landfill.

Many coffee shops offer them for free- packed and ready for pick up. If not you can request /convince them to give away.

Here are the ways you can use coffee grounds and their benefits:

Coffee grounds are wonderful for your compost pile                    

  • Coffee grounds, rich in Nitrogen are great for your compost. Though brown in color they constitute the green component material in your compost pile and as such they need to be balanced with enough brown -carbon material. ( Browns may be greens and vice versa. More about brown and green conundrum in another post ). 
  • They increase microbial activity in the compost pile due to the residual nutrients like fatty acids and carbohydrates present in them even after filtration  
  • This, in turn, increases the internal temperature which is ideal for a compost pile to aid thermophilic activity and keep a check on pathogens and weed seeds.  
  • They help in aeration of the pile    
  • Red wrigglers and nightcrawlers are coffee addicts like some human beings. So add coffee grounds to your vermicompost bins too, however in moderation                                       
When there is a steady supply of coffee grounds then adding them to the compost pile may not be the workable solution as you need to balance it with enough brown /carbon material. You can use it in the garden directly in such cases.

Coffee grounds can be added to the garden Soil directly  

  • The nitrogen present in coffee grounds helps in the growth of Spinach and beans when added to the soil.
  • The coffee smell keeps away certain pests, Cats, Slugs, and Snails
  • Coffee grounds are slightly acidic and therefore help certain acid-loving plants like Tomatoes.
  • The grainy texture provides good drainage when mixed with clayey soil
  • Used as mulch it helps with water retention and aeration 
  • The earthworms in the soil love coffee grounds 
  • Coffee grounds soaked in water overnight and filtered can be used as a foliar spray for its antimicrobial and nutrient values
And the best part is, coffee grounds have no expiry date. So go ahead, pick up that Free bag of coffee ground and achieve the twin objectives of soil replenishment and recycling of organic waste.














Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

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