As it turns out, it depends on your soil composition and what plants you’re growing. If you’re unsure about whether this tip is right for you, don’t worry! We’ll walk you through when coffee grounds are perfect for your plants and when your ground is better off without the grounds.

Coffee grounds are a source of nitrogen

If you look at a breakdown of coffee grounds, they are roughly 2% nitrogen. This may not seem like a lot, but this 2% can add up, especially when you consider how much coffee the average person drinks in a month. Adding your used coffee grounds into your compost every day is a great way to create a nitrogen-rich compost for your garden.

As with most organic compounds, the nitrogen spreads throughout your soil or compost when it begins to break down. This makes it more similar to a slow-release fertilizer, adding nitrogen to your garden or compost over an extended period.

However, coffee grounds aren’t the only way to add nitrogen to your garden. Although coffee grounds are convenient for many gardeners and rich in nitrogen, practically any organic matter added to your compost will contribute some nitrogen. If you prefer tea over coffee, then there’s even better news. You can compost your tea bags, which contain roughly 4.4% nitrogen!

Coffee grounds add acidity to the soil

While most plants prefer a fairly neutral pH, some plants actually prefer slightly acidic soil. This means soils with a pH just below 7, typically in the 6.5 to 6.9 range, although it depends on the plant. Blueberry bushes and azaleas prefer acidic soil, for example, as do rhododendrons. There are plenty of ways to lower your soil’s pH, but you have to be careful not to lower it too much.

Coffee grounds are acidic, but only mildly so. They can lower the general pH of your soil gradually, and there is very little risk of adding too much acidity to your soil. Mixing coffee grounds directly into the soil around plants that appreciate acidic soil can help those plants flourish, without majorly impacting the other plants in your garden. If you don’t drink a lot of coffee but need to increase the acidity of a large garden, then you can use leaf mold, peat moss, or pine straw.

Using coffee grounds reduces food waste

Admittedly, coffee grounds aren’t the largest source of food waste. However, every little bit counts, and it all adds up. If you’re already composting, then your coffee grounds and coffee filters can be composted, which means just a little less is going into the garbage every day. Using coffee grounds in your garden is an easy way to make your home and life slightly more sustainable.

Reducing food waste is good for the environment, but there are other ways to make a larger impact. The vast majority of food waste and pollution comes from large companies, not individuals. The best way to protect the planet is to let companies and legislators know that you care about the environment, either through letters, emails, or phone calls. This can be intimidating sometimes, but it’s much easier with friends or neighbors.

Consider looking for local environmental groups, or form one yourself. You can get together with your community members to write petitions or letters, clean up local streams or parks, start a community garden, and brainstorm new ways to help your community accomplish its environmental goals. Of course, you can all compost your coffee grounds as well.

When shouldn’t you use coffee grounds?

There are a few times when using coffee grounds isn’t a good idea, or at least not the best idea. One of those times is if you need an immediate boost of nitrogen in your soil. If your plants have a nitrogen deficiency, then adding coffee grounds isn’t going to help, since your plants will have to wait for the coffee grounds to break down before they can access the nitrogen. Instead, add compost or a nitrogen fertilizer.

The opposite is also true. If your garden has too much nitrogen, then adding coffee grounds certainly will not help. Too much nitrogen can lead to nitrogen burn, which is just as detrimental as a nitrogen deficiency. This is why testing your soil’s nutrient balance is important. The same can be said about pH, as well. If your soil is already too acidic, or if you have plants that are sensitive to acidity, then using coffee grounds in your garden is a bad idea.

Using coffee grounds is just like using any organic matter in your gardening. Coffee grounds add nutrients and change the pH of your soil. Sometimes, it can be very helpful. Other times, they are unnecessary or even potentially harmful, like if you already have too much nitrogen in your soil. If you aren’t sure whether coffee grounds will do your garden any good if applied directly, then you can always add them to your compost.

If you have an artificial tree that’s still in good shape, the answer is simple — just pack it back into the box and put it into the attic or garage for another year. What about a natural tree, though? With environmental sustainability an ever-growing consideration for consumers, it’s no longer as simple as tossing the tree into the next available garbage truck.

It turns out that there are plenty of options for handling this issue. However, one stands out from the rest: mulching. Here’s a look at the most common ways to discard your tree and why mulching might be the best option.

How do I prep my Christmas tree for disposal?

The first stop is understanding your options. Possibilities can and will depend very heavily on local government agencies or businesses. While one city’s government will recycle trees, another’s may not. Any disposal plan should start with finding out what’s available in your community.

Here are some general rules to help you get your old Christmas tree ready to exit stage left:

• Don’t wait for the tree to dry out. Dry trees pose a fire hazard.
• When you’re ready, remove the tree stand, tree skirt, ornaments, and lights.
• Before you move the tree, keep things clean by covering the tree with a large plastic tree removal bag (available from Christmas tree vendors as well as big-box or holiday stores). However, you should check with your final destination first, as some do not accept bagged trees.
• If you have an old blanket or sheet, this could also help contain the mess as you move the tree outside.
• If you’re setting your tree on the curb, be aware of and follow any instructions from those doing the removal.
• Be sure the tree does not block access to roads, driveways, sidewalks, or mailboxes.

Now that your tree is properly prepared, it’s time to figure out where it’s going. Somewhere a little greener? Let’s see.

What are the potential options for Christmas tree removal?

Before we get to mulching, let’s take a look at some of the other options that are available.

Curbside trash pickup: Even with so many new options out there, millions of trees each year still end up in landfills. This may not be ideal, especially for those concerned about how we use and manage natural resources, but hey — at least you got your living room back.

Donate to a parks or wildlife agency: Live Christmas trees can sometimes be donated to state parks or wildlife preserves, which use old trees to create new animal habitats — both on land and in the water.

Compost: The branches of a retired Christmas tree are welcome additions to the compost pile. They allow for good airflow through the compost and bring extra moisture to the environment. In many places, there are year-round services, including businesses that’ll take compost materials off your hands. Poke around and see if any accept Christmas trees.

Replant: This is only an option if your tree has its roots intact, which means the vast majority of Christmas revelers won’t be able to use this option. If you’re one of the few who has a tree with its roots still attached, move the tree outside to a cool, dry place for a few days to let it re-acclimate to the outdoor conditions. Then dig a hole at least twice as wide as the root system. Drop in your tree, fill in the hole, and water it, and then you’re all set.

Why is mulching your Christmas tree the best option?

Also known as “treecycling,” mulching can be an easy and practical way to dispose of your old Christmas tree.

Here’s that broken record again: You’ll need to check with your local government agencies or nurseries to see if they make this option available. Some city governments and businesses accept Christmas trees and grind them into mulch, which they sometimes then sell or use in local landscapes and parks. If it’s the government doing the treecycling, it could be as easy as putting your tree on the curb.

Even if there’s no curbside Christmas tree pickup in your area, local groups will often hold treecycling events where you can drop off your tree for mulching, often deep into the month of January. In many instances, they’ll give you a bag of your own mulch to take home. For gardeners, that couldn’t come at a more opportune time. Mulch is essential for good plant health during cold-weather months. Think of it as a blanket for your garden that works to stave off frost and help excess water move through the soil.

It can also be fun to make the mulch yourself. Discard the needles and cut or chop the branches into small chunks. Cathartic!

Since you’re often able to reap the rewards yourself and don’t need a lot of extra steps or equipment to do it, mulching may be the best option for discarding your old Christmas tree. Whether you take it to your city government or mulch it yourself, it’s a fun and low- or no-cost option. You can also feel good about doing something green and closing the consumption loop by putting the old Christmas tree back in (or on) the earth. That seems like a fitting way to close out the season.