Pepper Plants Easy Growing Medium - All Natural

Amazingly large Pepper Plants - no artificial fertilizer!

To get exceptionally large plants , and not just peppers, but an acid loving plant, simply use coffee grounds mixed with good dirt.

I have documented the way that I have found that works best for this below.

I usually start my Peppers in small starter pots from seed about 2-3 weeks before I put them out in the garden.

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To start you will need the following:

1.  A good supply of coffee grounds (if you aren't using your own, I have some sourcing ideas below, most free)
2. A small mixer / trowel of some kind - I personally use a bamboo stick - quick, easy, disposable and biodegradable
3. Dirt to mix in (can be dirt already at location) - I often used a bit of potting soil or garden dirt, but any decent soil works
4. A good working surface / repotting matt - a tarp or repotting mat work best, but anything works - it will likely get stained. If you don't have one, I highly recommend one, as it works for many other projects and helps prevent spills if working indoors, as well as loosing small parts - screws, gears, etc. This one has high sides and folds flat. You may want a velcro strap to hold it closed.
5. A sunny area
6. Best is outside in low wind and above freezing. Inside will work but will smell strongly of coffee :)
7. Shovel

 Not required but useful:

1.  Leather gardening gloves (NOT required but useful depending if you're okay getting coffee stains on your hand
2. Either compost or electric compost mis
3. I prefer the electric compost because it's fast and easy and helps breakup compostable waste from the kitchen as well as the grounds. This Vitamix Electric Composter one is my preferred one and works well, but is by no means a requirement. It's especially useful if you don't have the home space and patience for a composter - we can't have compost here.
4. Trowel - I like this one because it's long and very sturdy, I did however, spray paint the handle bright orange so that I stopped losing it in the garden.
5. Depending on what climate your in - you may want to start your seeds inside. I personally like these seed starters, but any works. I will make another instructable on making seed starting posts that work very well, nearly for free too. If you do decide to use commercial ones, then these ones have been my favorite because they are easy to pop out and plant - these starter trays do best indoors though, as I found out the hard way.

The easiest way to do this is to find a place that can supply you relatively large amounts. Per plant you will need 2-4 lbs. The easiest way is to find a coffee shop that will let you take them if you order coffee. Most local Starbucks / other chain / local shops will let you have them.

Use your working area or tarp to dry out the grounds. The easiest way to do this is just to dump them out on the tarp, spread them out and then let the sun dry them out for a few hours. Don’t' leave them out for more than a few hours though because some bugs like to lay eggs in them, especially here in northern VA and especially in the summer. Break up large chunks of coffee grounds.

I used a brick that I had laying around to help make sure the wind can't blow away my working mat. Note that the green thing in the middle of brick is just the velcro strap that holds my tarp closed. I just didn't want it to blow away.

Whatever dirt / potting soil you decide to use to mix with the grounds, just mix it in and make sure that you crumble it all together well. Make sure that if the grounds you are using had pressed espresso cups that you crumble them up well and mix the lot together.

I try to always dig at least 3 feet across and at least a foot or more down to make sure that the roots can grow freely. We have very clay like soil here so to give your peppers the best chance to root properly and take off. Also, you are adding a lot more dirt mix than was there before, even if your fill dirt was the first you pulled from here to mix with.

This was adding a bit of potting soil and coffee mix to the bottom of the hole.

Plant you peppers and watch them grow! Please note that the above image is AI Generated and your pepper will likely look more like my cover photo :) but I did want to use this one because of the dirt too.

 I hope you enjoyed my instructable, please let me know if you made it and how it works out. Hopefully you get bigger pepper plants than before, and many more peppers. 

Questions, comments, other interests? - send me an email - thehalfnakedchef@gmail.com

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