NZ Gardener has an on-line supplement 'Get Growing' which comes flashing through every Friday. Last week's edition covered coffee grounds in its Q&A section:
If you've ever wondered ...
Q. I've seen lots of advice for using coffee grinds in the garden to deter snails and also to even out the spread of seeds when mixed with them at sowing time. I wonder if this has an any effect on the soil. Does it affect the pH balance (I think coffee grinds are acid)? Does it contribute too much of any chemical to the soil over the long term? Mandy Hewett
A. Coffee grounds have a reasonable level of nitrogen so they're useful as a fertiliser. The nitrogen is present as a protein and made available over time by microbes. Depending on the source, the grounds will be around 2 per cent nitrogen and 0.2 per cent phosphorus dry weight. The residual caffeine is also a stimulant to microbial activity. Adding 250g per square metre each year is likely to be near the upper limit and even less should be applied to areas that will be sown in the next couple of months. Otherwise seedlings may be more prone to fungal diseases. At these rates, the slight acidic effect of the coffee grounds won't be significant. Most plants will benefit from moderate applications of coffee grounds, and some gardeners report that acid lovers like azaleas, rhodos and blueberries thrive. Dr Tim Jenkins
Tim knows his stuff. I've not met him yet but I hope to sometime soon.
4 comments:
Mmmmm, sounds like a great excuse to brew another cup ...
Yep Meg - if it's good for your garden, it's good for you!
Did you get on to the Environment Southland? Hopefully you did, we put so many posters around the school!
Hey Robert - I did! And I reckon your posterizing helped alot. It certainly gave me a boost to see the energy and enthusiasm you guys showed toward my campaign and to politics generally. I'll be watching your future political involvements closely!
Cheers
Robert
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