A lot of organic waste can be used in the garden as a valuable fertilizer. It is therefore obvious to use coffee grounds or any ash that is produced anyway as an inexpensive fertilizer. But is this advisable and how do the plants tolerate these substances?
Coffee grounds are a great fertilizer
Fertilize with ash
The fine powder is very easy to produce yourself, because ash is the by-product of burning natural wood. It is important that you know the exact origin of the fuel, as depending on the source it can be heavily contaminated with pollutants.
Substances in the wood that are hazardous to health, such as varnish or glaze (66.50€) also accumulate when it burns and can even poison the soil if you then use the ash as fertilizer. Barbecue ash is also unsuitable, as it contains degradation products such as acrylamide.
In the following table you will find the ingredients of pure wood ash:
| Ingredient percentage | crowd |
|---|---|
| 25 - 45 | burnt lime |
| 3 - 6 | magnesium oxide |
| 3 - 6 | potassium oxide |
| 2 - 6 | phosphorus pentoxide |
| different amounts | Trace elements such as iron, manganese, boron, sodium |
This is one of the main problems that arises when fertilizing with ash: The fine powder is a piñata where you never know exactly how many nutrients are in it. Ash is therefore primarily used to improve acidic soil. You can also sparingly fertilize some plants that are lime tolerant with ash:
- Choose a windless day so that the white powder is not accidentally spread throughout the garden.
- Wear gloves to protect your skin.
- Depending on the pH value, 100 to 400 g of ash are sufficient for one square meter of soil.
Coffee grounds as fertilizer
Coffee grounds are a good fertilizer for all plants that prefer a moderately acidic to neutral soil environment:
- It supplies the plants with plenty of nitrogen, which leads to improved growth of leaves and shoots.
- Prepare the coffee grounds and let them dry well, as the moist powder will quickly begin to mold.
- Coffee grounds that you simply sprinkle on the bed have no fertilizing effect. To do this, it must first be worked into the soil and decomposed by microorganisms and earthworms.
- Coffee grounds are well suited to fertilizing grasses, as they prefer a slightly acidic environment. The same applies here: Spread dry and work in well.
tips
Coffee grounds and wood ash should always be used with caution. In contrast to purchased, biological fertilizers, you do not know the exact composition and have less control over the effects of the agents. Therefore, dose sparingly and use both products in addition to other fertilizers.