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How to recycle coffee grounds into fertiliser to feed your plants

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How to recycle coffee grounds into fertiliser to feed your plants

It also helps stop dengue mosquitoes breeding

by Tara Barker  /   August 5, 2020
coffee fertiliser

Credit: @vorobyulia/Twenty20

Here’s my recipe for home-made and organic fertiliser, using coffee grounds:

  • Used coffee grounds
  • Used tea-leaves
  • Dry eggshells, ground very fine

Mix well and dig into the soil around your potted plants. Watch the video below for a step-by-step guide:

Used coffee grounds and tea-leaves contain minerals vital for plant growth — nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium. 

If you dig used coffee and tea-leaves into the soil around your potted plants, you attract microorganisms to help plant health. Plus, you improve the texture of the soil.

In Singapore the sun bakes our soil hard. Eventually, water cannot get into the soil around your potted plant, or drain out properly. 

Adding organic matter (like coffee grounds, tea leaves and eggshells) helps water penetrate the soil – and drain out properly. This not only helps your plant, but it also reduces mosquitoes.

One of the tips NEA gives to prevent dengue mosquitoes breeding, is to loosen hard soil in pots, so water can drain away. 

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/style/recycle-coffee-grounds-fertiliser-feed-plants/
How to recycle coffee grounds into fertiliser to feed your plants
What’s acid soil - and why do I care?
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Soil is either slightly acid, slightly alkaline or neutral. We don’t notice it  — but plants do. And they prefer different kinds of soils.

You may read that coffee grounds raise the acid level of soil – so some plants may not like it, especially vegetables. 

So it’s good to know only unwashed coffee grounds are slightly acidic.  Used coffee has a neutral pH of 6.5 and will not affect the acid levels of soil. 

Adding eggshells also helps. It not only makes your mix neutral, but it also adds calcium in the soil. Calcium helps plants build stronger cells, stems and leaves. 

For potted plants, ground calcium also helps reduce harmful salts in the soil, and improves water penetration, so it’s fine to use – even on your vegetable plot.

TIP: Grinding eggshells fine helps plants take calcium up efficiently – if you leave the shell in big chunks they can’t really access it

Is it pet safe?
image

Caffeine is toxic to cats. My cats have never shown any interest in licking the soil in potted plants. And I dig the fertiliser under the soil. But just in case, I cover any soil on show with ornamental rocks or gravel — it’s easy to buy online. Scroll down for some recommendations. 

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All products are carefully handpicked by our editors, and we may earn money from links on this post.

Read Next

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