How to use coffee grounds as fertilizer

What are the features of coffee grounds

Coffee pomace is considered a universal fertilizer, as it can be used on any soil. It used to be that fertilizer was only suitable for alkaline soils due to the high acidity of the product. But later it was proved that the acidity present in coffee beans is completely neutralized during the preparation of the drink. Therefore, coffee leftovers can be used as fertilizer for all soils, regardless of their properties and composition.

Brewed ground coffee contains many useful trace elements, which remain in considerable concentration in the thicket. For example, it contains enough potassium and magnesium for adequate plant nutrition. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, but in smaller quantities, so these substances must be added to the soil additionally.

Gardeners argue that soil fertilized with thickets is more attractive to worms. And the presence of worms, as you know, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the soil: it becomes looser and more permeable. But many pests and insects do not like the aroma of the grounds. Recycled waste from the coffee machine, introduced into the soil, makes ants, snails, garden midges leave the planting for a long time.

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Application features

Skillful gardeners, gardeners and flower growers have tried in practice many interesting ways to use coffee grounds as fertilizers:

1. The easiest way is to scatter the cake directly on the garden bed, or around the holes with vegetation. You can fertilize in this way throughout the season. After making thick soil, it is recommended to water abundantly - this will speed up the nutrition of the soil.
2. Mulching. This method is best used in small areas, since it requires a lot of material (it takes a long time to collect the thick). In addition, it must be borne in mind that in the sun, the thick quickly cakes, and can form a dense crust, so the mulch layer should be shallow.
3. The use of the thick when planting plants, especially tomatoes, is relevant. It is dug in around the seedlings, or added in a small amount to the hole. It is good to mix a little herbal mulch with the thick so that it will not dry out and bake.
4. Effective use of thick as drainage.
5. The rest of the coffee, diluted with water, can be used for watering.
6. You can also use the grounds in the garden. Experienced gardeners scatter it around trees and shrubs, and then spray it with water. This method accelerates the release of nitrogen into the soil.
7. In indoor floriculture, the used coffee residue is added to the pots. When mixed with soil, a very useful flower food is obtained. In the absence of direct sunlight, the thickening can be spread on the soil surface - this contributes to a more even penetration of moisture, prevents it from drying out.

How to make compost

Compost is the most effective organic plant fertilizer. It is suitable not only for a garden or vegetable garden, but also for feeding indoor flowers, therefore, despite the laboriousness of the process, many summer residents and flower growers are engaged in its preparation.

For the maturation of the compost, you need to choose a suitable place: as far from the house as possible, protected from rain and wind. It is best to compost in a small pit, but if there is no pit, you can do it right on the ground. Then you need to put the following components in one pile:

• used coffee cake - 40-50% of the total;
• sluggish mowed grass - 20%;
• dry leaves - 30-40%;
• bone meal - 2-3 handfuls;
• fresh soil, or compost of the last preparation - 1 shovel.

The composition of the compost can be varied - one of the components can be straw, cardboard, vermicompost. All components must be mixed well, pour water on top (preferably rainwater). For better fermentation, you can add a liter of juice, or rotten fruits. A rather large pile can be obtained - the larger it is, the better the compost matures. Then, using a stick, you need to make holes in the raw material for ventilation.

In the first two days, the raw material will heat up (the temperature can reach 60 ° C), during the next five days it will subside, and after a week the first worms will appear in the heap. From this point on, the compost does not need to be touched for about a month. In case of rainy weather, it must be covered with something. After 1-2 months, the compost can be used.

Fruit trees are very fond of coffee compost. It is laid out around the trunks, added to the soil when planting. Using compost in gardens maintains soil moisture, inhibits weed growth, and is good plant nutrition.

Drainage from the thick

As a drainage, used coffee is more often used in floriculture. The grounds are poured into pots directly when planting plants. If you do not have expanded clay at hand, you can take several bags of tea, put them on the bottom of the pot, and then pour a layer of grounds. Smooth everything out, then add potting soil to the pot. Over time, the tea with the grounds will rot, and a high-quality organic fertilizer is formed. Alternatively, you can lay the thick layer on expanded clay.

Using the grounds to drain large areas is a bit tricky, as there are a lot of residues required. Some gardeners add dried ground coffee to the ground during spring tilling. After that, the soil becomes looser, air, moisture and nutrients penetrate into it more easily. In addition, the thick, mixed with the soil, does not bake in the sun.

How else to apply the thick

On the farm, used coffee is used in a variety of ways:

• some summer residents mix sweetened grounds with seeds before sowing - judging by the reviews, the seeds germinate faster, and the fruits have a sweeter and richer taste;
• using dried anti-slip grounds on walkways and sidewalks is a good alternative to table salt, which ruins pedestrian shoes and leaves white marks;
• in everyday life, used coffee residue can be useful for aromatization - dried grounds fills the air in the room with a pleasant coffee aroma, absorbs and neutralizes extraneous odors in the refrigerator;

Due to its coloring properties, used coffee is suitable for masking scratches on dark furniture, hair dyeing. Many housewives add coffee leftovers to the paint for Easter eggs - the color of the eggs becomes more intense, and the dye does not stick to the hands. Also, coffee grounds are successfully used in cosmetology.A thickened face scrub gives the skin a beautiful tanned complexion.

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