Spring is upon us, and with the onset of warmer weather, gardens are awakening from their winter dormancy and starting to flourish anew. This season always marks a busy time for gardeners as plants initiate their active growth phase. Trees sprout fresh leaves, flowers erupt into bloom, and lawns grow at a faster rate with the rising temperatures.
With grass proliferating swiftly in spring, it's crucial for gardeners to keep up with tasks such as tidying, fertilising, and addressing issues like weeds and moss to sustain a healthy lawn. Regular upkeep is essential to maintaining your grass's vibrancy and health. However, rather than turning to expensive garden fertilisers (which often contain chemicals), gardening gurus recommend using one natural ingredient likely already present in your kitchen to achieve a lush green lawn.
Coffee grounds are beneficial for lawns due to their high nitrogen content, which is vital for strong plant growth, reports the Mirror US. They also supply other essential nutrients, including potassium and phosphorus, boosting the overall health of your lawn. Besides being nutrient-dense, coffee grounds can enhance soil structure by making it looser and more aerated, encouraging root growth.
They also aid in water retention, ensuring your grass has sufficient moisture even during dry periods. Gardening Know-How extols the virtues of using coffee grounds in lawn care, stating: "It isn't the caffeine that stimulates healthy grass growth, but rather the nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace minerals that coffee grounds contain. These nutrients are released slowly, which is a big benefit over quick-release synthetic fertilizers."
The slow release of these nutrients allows the grass to absorb them over an extended period, resulting in healthier and more robust turf. Coffee grounds also serve as a natural deterrent against garden pests such as slugs and snails, which are repelled by both the caffeine and the gritty texture.
Additionally, they can help control weed growth by forming a barrier that inhibits seed germination.
Lilydale Instant Lawns also endorses the use of coffee grounds, stating: "Coffee grounds are an excellent, eco-friendly way to give your lawn a nutrient boost. They are rich in nitrogen, which is a crucial element for grass growth. Applying coffee grounds to your lawn is straightforward, but it's important to do it correctly to avoid any potential issues."
Experts advise ensuring that coffee grounds are dry before applying them to lawns. If you're utilising used grounds, they must be dried out first.
Once dry, they should be evenly distributed across the grass to prevent clumping, then lightly raked into the soil for better integration.