Coffee fuels my mornings and, apparently, my garden too. One day, after making my third cup and realizing the grounds were piling up like Mount Caffeine, I figured—why not toss them in the dirt? Josh gave me that look. You know, the one that says, “Are we starting another compost experiment that’ll attract raccoons?” Probably. But hear me out—coffee grounds are garden gold.
I started sprinkling them around my tomato plants, partly out of curiosity, partly out of laziness. The soil here in Homestead is sandy and moody, so anything that gives it a little oomph is worth a shot. And let me tell you, those tomato plants perked up like they just had their own espresso shot.
The thing about coffee grounds is they’re rich in nitrogen, which plants love. It’s like giving your soil a morning smoothie—nutrient-packed, smells amazing, and gives everyone a little boost. But moderation, my friends. Too much, and your garden starts to look like a coffee spill at a diner. I usually mix a handful into the compost or sprinkle a thin layer right into the soil and water it in. The worms go nuts for it. And if the worms are happy, I’m happy.
Ethan thinks it’s hilarious that we “feed the dirt coffee.” He says we’re growing “caffeinated carrots,” and honestly, that sounds like a business idea waiting to happen. I told him if those carrots start bouncing, we’ll know why.
Some days, I’ll walk out early in the morning, still holding my mug, and breathe in that mix of damp soil and leftover coffee. It smells like life—messy, earthy, a little bitter but full of promise. Even the plants seem to stretch taller under that warm Florida sun, like they’re saying, thanks for the pick-me-up, lady.
We’ve used a lot of fancy fertilizers before, but nothing beats what’s already in your kitchen. So now, I save every last scoop. No waste, happy plants, good coffee—it’s the trifecta of homesteading joy. And if Josh complains that I’m hoarding coffee filters again, I’ll just hand him a tomato and say, “Taste the caffeine, babe.”