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What's common, makes good compost, repels gnats, flies and ants and you probably throw it out every morning?

Used coffee grounds.

If you garden, you should be scooping up every precious little bit of these. They make extraordinary compost whether you use them in a compost bin, sheet compost with them, or just sprinkle a few around plants now and then.

Composting coffee grounds in a bin is probably the easiest way to use them. Do it the all natural way by encouraging earthworms in your compost. Coffee grounds are great for worm beds, so it stands to reason that the worms in your garden will like them just as much as the worms in a controlled worm bed. They'll put them to good use, making good dirt for your garden.

If your ground is mildly (or atrociously) alkaline, coffee grounds will neutralize it, but be aware that you can use too much for acidic soils. Don't use more than 1/8 coffee grounds to other materials if you have an acid soil.

However, they're the perfect amendment around plants like hydrangeas and raspberries that like a more acid balance. To make the most of them for these plants, dig a half cup or so of coffee grounds into the top few inches of soil near them once a year.

Other plants will appreciate a slow release of nitrogen, which can be obtained by sprinkling a thin layer of coffee grounds on top of the ground close to plants just before watering.

Just composting and amending the soil isn't the end of the story, though. Coffee grounds will help eliminate cutworms if you sprinkle them around the problem area. This could be because the soil will grow better plants (pests attack unhealthy plants first), or it could be because there is something in coffee grounds that actually repel cutworms. Whichever it is, regular use of coffee grounds will minimize cutworm damage.

Coffee grounds supposedly will protect your garden from ants, and it's said that they're even effective against fire ants. If you've ever been a victim of these tiny monsters, you'll appreciate that! Simply put a line a half inch or so high around any area you want to keep ants away from.

As a bonus, mites and other small bugs don't like coffee grounds, either. (They won't kill slugs, however.)

While it sounds like you can't have too much of a good thing, a mound of damp coffee grounds that hasn't been disturbed is the perfect place for mold to grow and will harbor tiny insects that love that sort of thing. Just remember to stir them around often if you need to leave a pile, however small. It's best to mix them with soil and let them dry out if you're not going to use them soon.

If your area gets enough rain to keep them moist, keep them under cover or even in your freezer until you can use them.

So, how do you get that many coffee grounds to begin with? If you don't drink that much coffee, run (or walk or drive) to the nearest Starbucks and ask for them. Most Starbucks stores make used coffee grounds available for their gardening customers for free. No Starbucks? Ask any local restaurant or coffee house to save plain coffee grounds for you.

You could ask friends and family to save theirs, too, or save your own throughout the winter (in the freezer) until you can work them into the soil in the spring.

Next time you enjoy a cup of coffee, just think of how much good you're doing your garden!

Learn more about this author, Pat Veretto.
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