[Ep-19] A Simple Fertilizer to Lessen Nature’s Burden — Coffee Grounds Compost

According to online sources, each ton of coffee beans produces 650 kg of coffee grounds. In other words, if these 'wastes' are put to use, they can greatly reduce nature’s burden of digesting human refuse.

Coffee shops and people who brew coffee at home produce large amounts of coffee grounds every day, which are typically thrown away as rubbish. But once you know the benefits of coffee grounds, why not put this useful 'waste' to good use?

Coffee grounds are easy to obtain and can be collected in large quantities. They provide basic nutrients such as phosphorus and potassium, and contain small amounts of magnesium and copper. The potassium, magnesium and copper, and especially nitrogen, are micronutrients essential for plant growth and help promote healthier shoot and leaf development.

They release nutrients slowly in the soil, which helps prevent root pests and protects plants from infections such as wilting, fungal rot, and some bacterial pathogen outbreaks.

Additionally, coffee grounds used as a surface cover can deter small insects and slugs, and can also keep your pets away from the plants.

Of course the grounds must be fermented first, and should only be applied as a thin layer. If you use too much, they can easily harm plants — a layer of about 1 cm is sufficient, and they are more suitable for in-ground planting than for potted plants.

Fresh coffee grounds must not be spread directly on the soil surface, otherwise they can readily foster fungi and attract various pests.

If thrown directly into the soil, natural decomposition is very slow, and the decomposition process generates heat that can burn plant roots. Therefore they are generally mixed into soil only after fermentation.

Also note that coffee grounds compost is only suitable for plants that prefer acidic soil.

Below are some relatively easy and simple methods for processing coffee grounds compost for your reference:

Dry composting: Place coffee grounds in sunlight and turn them daily; after about ten days they can be added to pots.

Wet composting: Place coffee grounds outdoors in a ventilated spot, do not turn them and let them mold; after several days you will see them covered in mold, then mix with soil and put into pots.

It is best when fermentation has progressed to the point where the original coffee smell is gone, and there may even be a slight musty odor from actinomycetes — this indicates it has entered the later/curing stage of composting and can be used without burning roots.

In winter, with lower temperatures and depending on sunlight, cover with insulating material to meet the above time frame, though it will still be slower.

*Our other article about sun exposure:

https://www.greencapsulehk.com/post/ep-04-sunlight-full-partial-shade

When using homemade compost, never bury it directly under a plant’s stem or roots; instead, dig a hole at the edge of the pot, bury the compost there, and then cover with soil.

You can also add a three-centimeter layer of compost at the bottom of the pot when planting, then cover with soil before planting to avoid direct contact between the fertilizer and the plant roots.

Do not use too high a proportion of coffee grounds in soil. Don’t assume that because coffee grounds are fertilizer you should cram them into the soil. They have strong water-retention capacity — like a sponge with many pores — and if used in excess they can cause the soil to stay overly wet, which easily leads to root rot.

Approximately a 1 (coffee grounds) : 5 (soil) ratio.

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