I put coffee grounds in my compost and have read with interest about the advantages re: earthworms when it's added to soil. But, is there any advantage to putting it around container plants since there are no earthworms there?
Thanks,
Barbara
Coffee grounds in containers
I put earthworms in my containers to help aerate the soil and to add castings....I also put coffee grounds in them too, not only for the earthworms but to help deter snails and slugs.
Where pray tell do you find earthworms? It would be too easy for you to say "the ground", right? lolol.
I don't have earth to dig in...is there somewhere else you think I could find some like to buy?
And, I'm curious about the coffee too.
This message was edited Jun 13, 2005 6:41 PM
What do you feed the worms? Is the coffee grounds enough for them to thrive? Don't they crawl out, LOL?
Barbara
Well I get red worms from an organic garden supply store, but you could also buy earthworms at say a Bait and Tackle shop.
And as far as what I feed them, well I mix in rough compost twice a year. Oh and no they don't crwal out. :-)
Others may feel differently, but I think a container gardener's #1 priority should be to insure that the container soil will provide adequate aeration for the intended life of the planting. That means an entire growing season if there are annuals in the container and longer if the container is planted with perennial plants like trees, shrubs, garden perennials, etc. Since coffee grounds break down so quickly into fine particles, they can compromise drainage/aeration in container soils. For that reason, I avoid them.
There are hundreds of species of earthworms in North America. Some dine only on decaying vegetative matter, while others are perfectly delighted with a meal of fresh produce (that's what they feed worms in vermiposting units), which could be roots. Since I'm unable to tell the difference at a glance, I've decided to treat worms as intruders in containers.
Al