Did you know that your garden loves coffee as much as you do? When you’re done with your morning cup of java, don’t head straight for the trash! There are excellent uses in your garden for them.
Coffee grounds aren’t just good for getting your caffeine hit. In this guide, we will explore the different methods of using coffee grounds for grass and what ways they benefit its growth.
Coffee Grounds For Grass: Does It Grow Or Kill Lawn?
Your grass doesn’t necessarily need a caffeine hit as we do. If used correctly, coffee grounds can work as an excellent lawn fertilizer.
Synthetic or improper fertilizers can damage your grass, which leads to lawn burn, decay, and death of your garden.
It's important to know how to correctly distribute the coffee grounds on your soil, or else it could cause more problems than solve them.
Leaving composted coffee grounds in piles or lumps will only cause the grass to die, and could even introduce pests or more insects. We will discuss how to spread coffee grounds later below.
Coffee grounds are also excellent for your flower beds - they provide organic nutrients which encourage your plants to grow in the garden soil and allow an easier route for rainwater to distribute. But you should be careful with plants, as some don’t like or need acidic soil.
Some fruits (like blueberries) and vegetables thrive in slightly more acidic environments, but others do not. Tomatoes, for example, will be affected by allelopathic properties and cause mutations or suppress growth.
The acidic environment will also suppress weed and fungal growth, giving your plants and grass to grow better.
But what exactly are some of the benefits of coffee grounds in the grass as lawn fertilizer? Read on below to find out why coffee will help your lawn.
How Can Coffee Grounds Benefit Grass Growing?
It’s no secret that coffee grounds work as a great lawn fertilizer, but what exactly does it do to your grass? Some of the benefits of using coffee grounds in the grass are:
1. Nutrients
Coffee grounds are full of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as trace minerals and other nutrients that encourage grass growth.
These nutrients create a beneficial soil environment which can also aid the bacteria and organisms that help your plants grow. Nutrients found in coffee grounds also break down slower, which gives turf more time to absorb them, increasing its longevity.
2. Encourages Worms
Not the nuisance you thought they were, earthworms are very useful for healthy grass growth.
They love coffee and will eat the grounds you spread and deposit them deep underground, further aiding your soil by breaking it up and helping support beneficial microbial activity. This is known as 'aerating.'[1]
3. Aids Water
Obviously, if your coffee grounds completely cover the lawn it can cause issues, but by using a variety of coarse and fine grounds can actually help distribute and drain the water from your lawn.
Rainwater will filter through the ground coffee into the soil, allowing the organic nutrients to spread through into your grass. It also filters water slower, giving your lawn and plants surrounding a chance to absorb it. This is particularly beneficial in sandy soil.
4. Ecologically Friendly
Coffee ground lawn fertilizer is much more eco-friendly than synthetic fertilizers and are void of pesticides or chemicals that could harm the natural habitat surrounding your lawn.
In addition, the microbial life in the soil thrives better from the nitrogen in the coffee ground leftovers.
How To Put Coffee Grounds On Your Lawn? (Ways To Fertilize Your Grass)
You can add your used or fresh coffee grounds directly to your compost pile if that's easiest. The composted coffee grounds will mix with the other organic material in the compost pile to combine with the other nutrients which are great for lawn grass.
However, if you don't want to add used coffee grounds to your compost pile then you can apply coffee grounds directly for stimulating lawn growth.
You just need to do it the right way because improper synthetic fertilizer applications can actually damage a healthy lawn.
Firstly, how much used or fresh coffee grounds should you be using to provide organic material and create a healthier lawn? Well, it’s not rocket science that if you cover the grass so the sun can’t shine on it, grass will die pretty quickly.
An even distribution of the grounds stimulates healthy grass growth the most in nutrient poor lawns.
You can save used coffee grounds from your own machines/pour over/French press etc., but you can also ask your local coffee shop or coffee houses (like Starbucks) if they would be able to give you coffee grounds.
Smaller coffee shops should be able to help and it's a great way to get free coffee grounds to use as plant food.
There are two effective ways of using coffee grounds for feeding lawns:
Throw And Rake
The easiest way is to simply take the used coffee grounds and compost material and throw it directly onto the grass. It’s not going to be evenly distributed after, but that’s something you can fix.
Take a rake or gardening hoe to spread the total compost volume over the grass, making sure there are no clumps or piles of coffee grounds.[2]
You can also use your fingers and sprinkle dry used coffee grounds around the grass, but it would need to be dry. Wet grounds will clump and stick to your fingers and won't stimulate healthier turf.
Bucket
This is a little more unconventional, but if you take a bucket and poke holes in the bottom, then add the brown waste grounds to the bucket, you can use it as a spreader and sprinkle it in your garden.
It would be best to wait until the grounds are dry so that they'll spread easier over the green turf.
You could also use a spreader to apply coffee grounds to your lawn. You would need to make sure the used coffee grounds are dry so they don't clump together in to deep piles atop your lawn or in your bucket. If you own a spreader, be sure to read the instructions before using it.
Common Coffee Grounds On Grass FAQs
Can coffee grounds help Bermuda and St Augustine grass grow?
Yes! Coffee grounds will work well for most types of grass. The nutrients are released slowly over time and attract earthworms, creating healthy and attractive grass. If your soil is already very acidic, it might cause more problems than solutions, as coffee is very acidic.
What animals do coffee grounds keep away from the grass?
While it won't completely deter pests, coffee grounds tend to deter cats, rabbits, and slugs from your grass. This will be down to the smell and caffeine levels in the coffee. If you find yourself still with pests, it might be worth investing in some proper pest control.
What happens if you put coffee grounds on the grass too often?
Nothing adverse should happen if you frequently fertilize your grass with coffee grounds, but fresh coffee grounds may leave brown or yellow stains over your lawn. It could also dry up the root system if used too often (we’re talking every day), so it’s best to spread once a month.
How long does it take for grass to grow when you’re using coffee grounds on it?
It can take a while to notice any effect. After about three months, you will have noticed your grass looking greener and healthier. This is because it will have absorbed those nutrients and began to grow better. Most composted foods take some time to properly break down and release those rich nutrients.
Conclusion
Who knew used coffee grounds could be so beneficial? Don’t throw those grounds away - keep your lawn looking fresh and green!
Gardening doesn't have to be difficult, nor do you need to feel wasteful with these handy recycling tips.
Get yourself a coffee grounds bin to collect those caffeine hits in the morning, and before long, you'll have a lawn to make the neighbors jealous.
References:
1. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/worms-eat-coffee-grounds-103941.html
2. https://lawnlove.com/blog/lawn-care-tips-on-how-to-apply-fertilizer-to-your-lawn/
