Yo, what’s good, it’s your boy Dan and I’m here to tell you about a secret weapon for your cannabis garden: coffee grounds! Yeah, you heard me right. Those used-up coffee beans that you’ve been tossing in the bin can actually be repurposed as a kickass fertiliser for your weed plants. And the best part? They’re practically free. Let me break it down for y’all.
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, with around 400 billion cups consumed annually. But did you know that coffee beans contain important nutrients that plants need to survive? Most people just toss their used coffee grounds, but smart gardeners know that they’re a valuable resource that can help enhance soil fertility and biodiversity.
So, let’s get into the nitty gritty of how to use coffee grounds in your cannabis garden. First off, what exactly are coffee grounds? Well, when you brew coffee, the leftover brown particles that remain are known as coffee grounds. While instant coffee granules dissolve completely into water and leave no trace behind, coffee grounds are a final byproduct of the brewing process.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Coffee grounds are packed with key nutrients that weed plants require for optimal growth and health. These include potassium, which plays a role in water and nutrient movement throughout the plant; phosphorous, which promotes root development and flower formation; calcium, which is important for structural support in cell walls and membranes; and magnesium, which is essential for the chlorophyll molecule that absorbs sunlight.
But hold up, before you go dumping your coffee grounds directly into your soil, there’s something you should know. Coffee grounds don’t release their nutrients immediately after being applied to soil. Instead, beneficial species of fungi and bacteria will start breaking down the proteins and carbs in coffee grounds as food sources. After immobilising nutrients like nitrogen and potassium, these microbes will hold onto them until they die or are eaten by other creatures in the soil food web. At this point, these nutrients become available to plants.
So why bother using coffee grounds if they don’t provide an immediate source of nutrients? Well, because they help sustain communities of soil microbes that are responsible for nutrient cycling within organic systems. Plus, earthworms love coffee grounds and will drag them below the surface to improve soil structure and water-holding capacity.
One thing to note: while some growers claim that coffee grounds can help keep growing mediums acidic (which is preferable for weed plants), this hasn’t been scientifically proven. Also, fresh coffee grounds can be harmful to young plants due to their phytotoxic properties. It’s best to compost them first before adding them to your garden.
Speaking of composting, coffee grounds make an excellent addition to any compost bin. They’re considered a “green” compost because they’re rich in nitrogen — a key component of healthy soil. Composting also helps break down any harmful substances in fresh coffee grounds and turns them into a valuable source of organic matter that improves soil structure and moisture retention.
Finally, some gardeners claim that coffee grounds can help deter pests like slugs and snails from munching on their precious weed plants. While there isn’t much scientific evidence to support this claim, it’s worth trying out a top dressing of coffee grounds to see if it works for you.
So there you have it folks: another way to use an everyday household item in your cannabis garden. Don’t throw away those valuable used coffee grounds — put them to work as a natural fertiliser instead!
