Are Coffee Grounds Good for the Garden?

At Tired Mums Coffee, we love making small changes that, over time, make a big difference for the planet – like reusing our coffee grounds in the garden.

Have you ever wondered what to do with those used coffee grounds that are piling up in your kitchen or taking up space in your bin? Your garden has the answer!

Here’s our handy guide on how you can reuse your coffee grounds to benefit your soil and plants.

Why do coffee grounds work in the garden?

Used grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth. They're rich in nitrogen and also contain phosphorus, potassium, and other micronutrients.

They're great for compost or can directly enrich your soil by improving texture to help with water retention or even attracting worms!

How to Use Them

• Add to compost containers: this is the safest way to use coffee grounds, especially if you have pets. Coffee grounds are a perfect “green” addition and homemade compost is fantastic for soil and growing healthy plants.

• Apply directly onto soil (lightly): this method is usually fine but do so in moderation and avoid thick layers as this can block air and water from reaching your plants’ roots.

Top Tips

• Mix your moist grounds with used paper coffee filters, or other dry waste to speed up the composting process – you can also add any undrunk coffee (is that really a thing?!)
• Although it isn't proven, some people have reported that coffee grounds can repel slugs from your plants – it might be worth a try! Don’t forget to top up the grounds especially after heavy rain.
• As the used grounds will still contain some caffeine, they can restrict plant growth for certain types of plants and seedlings - so be mindful about where you pop them in your garden.
• Many coffee shops now offer grounds for free so if you need more – pop down to your local café, grab your favourite drink and see if it’s something they offer.

The takeaway

Coffee grounds won’t replace fertiliser, but they’re a simple, sustainable way to give your garden a little love.

So next time you brew your Tired Mums Coffee, save those grounds - they’re not done yet!