With Starbucks, and now other cafe's, giving away their used coffee grounds to home gardeners what are we supposed to do with this free resource?

Fortunately Sustainable Enterprises have come up with a few pointers to help us out;

• Sprinkle used grounds around plants before rain or watering, for a slow-release nitrogen.
• Add to compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags break down rapidly during composting.
• Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature.
• Mix into soil for houseplants or new vegetable beds.
• Encircle the base of the plant with a coffee and eggshell barrier to repel pests - this is the one that most interests me. I'm going to give it a try around my agapanthus and see if it does the trick.
• If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms

If you have other uses for Starbucks coffee grounds in the garden let me know.