Earthworms Like Coffee Grounds
Although the reason is unknown, earthworms seem to be attracted to coffee grounds. When coffee grounds are spread around plants or used in compost piles, the worm population increases. This benefits soil and plant life.
Earthworms eat decaying and dead organic matter in the soil and especially like coffee grounds. Their digestive system breaks down the chemicals in what they eat and recycles the chemicals throughout the soil, resulting in a richer, more productive soil. The more worms and activity, the more the soil benefits.
The Activity of Microbes Increases
Earthworms eat microorganisms, and their waste contains even more microorganisms. Their digestive process adds microorganisms to break down the nutrients for the worm's internal absorption. Their waste is then deposited in a form easily ingested by plants.
Structure of the Soil Improves
As earthworms eat near the surface of the soil and burrow to deeper depths, they leave their waste along the way. This, plus the soil they drag back and forth, changes the soil's chemical structure. Worms can exchange the top six inches of soil every 10 to 20 years to help reduce the depleting of soil nutrients needed for plant growth.
Conduits Are Made Available for Root Expansion
Worms burrowing from different depths loosen the soil and leave nutrients in the conduits, making it conducive for underground expansion of the root systems of plants on the surface.
Remnants of Surface Residue is Buried
Over time, remnants of surface residue--such as stalks and leaves--are covered by earthworm waste, pulled underground by worms and taken to deeper depths. This enriches the soil.
Added Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds
The odor of coffee grounds drives away cats, among other animals. Also, once it is worked into the ground it eliminates slugs (which are wormlike mollusks in the snail family), hinders weed growth, puts acid in soil and attracts earthworms.
Over 10 per cent of coffee grounds are nitrogen-rich proteins needed to enhance germination and growth of seeds.
A carbon to nitrogen ratio of 11 to 1 is needed for plants and soil. Coffee grounds have that ratio.
Water activates the making of coffee, so oils, fatty acids, carbohydrates and other compounds not broken down by water remain in the grounds to enrich the soil.
Some of the chemical compounds in coffee grounds take several months to break down. Earthworms eat the coffee grounds and microorganisms and transport them deep into the soil, favorably changing the chemical structure of the ground and loosening the soil to promote air and water movement.
There is evidence coffee grounds allowed to decompose in the soil protect certain vegetables such as beans, cucumbers and tomatoes from fungus.
Compost Piles
Although coffee grounds have not been found to be productive for all plant growth, they have been recommended to compose up to 20 percent of compost piles. The coffee grounds attract earthworms, which in turn take the nutrients from the compost pile into the ground and enrich the soil.
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