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Thinking outside the pot? The coffee pot that is.
It is two ideas that come together beautifully:

First, coffee grounds are becoming a disposal nightmare. Millions of pounds of spent grounds are deposited weekly into Northwest landfills. Secondly, the world’s leading scientists have been researching methods to improve plant growth while reducing the costs of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Costly, both in terms of dollars and environmental impact. That research kept coming up with an organic answer, one that used the same natural and effective way to promote plant growth that nature has used for millions of years. Using beneficial soil organisms such as mycorrhiza and bacteria to promote plant growth.

Root tip colonized with mycorrhizae. Attached filaments absorb nutrients and water in the soil and feed the root and plant.

"The Mycorrhizal relationship with plants has been around over 460 million years" explained Mike Amaranthus PhD, Oregon State University Associate Professor and Chief Scientist at Mycorrhizal Applications, Inc. "It is one of the longest and most successful relationships in nature." Recently, the landscape and horticulture industry has begun to seriously take notice and using mycorrhiza is rapidly becoming standard practices for environmentally conscious companies. "Research has shown the importance of soil to produce healthy plants that bloom more abundantly and transplant more successfully. Mycorrhizal plants flourish, uptake more nutrients and are more resistant to drought and disease" says Dr. Mike. While mycorrhizae are plentiful in natural, undisturbed areas, mycorrhizae populations are reduced or eliminated in disturbed man-made environments. Recent advancements in the production of mycorrhizal inoculum are producing cost effective ways of re-introducing mycorrhizae where they have been lost.

The pine tree on the left has been inoculated with mycorrhizae; the pine tree on the right was not. The inoculated pine has more feeder roots for improved plant performance

The next challenge was to take the left over coffee grounds. (What a shame to throw the grounds in a landfill!) and find a way to put them back into the soil naturally. Straight coffee grounds can be harmful to certain plants because the acidity levels are too high for most plants to handle. Also, applying coffee grounds to most plants right out of a brewer can burn the plant's roots. Using the best possible research and analysis we created a new amended coffee ground…Garden Grounds. Garden Grounds contains coffee grounds, organic fertilizer, 8 species of growth-enhancing natural mycorrhizal fungi, 14 strains of beneficial soil bacteria, 11 types of time release carbohydrates and 20 different amino acids. The coffee grounds add organic matter and water holding capacity to the soil and contain nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and micronutrients necessary for plant health. Mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria are natural ways for roots to increase nutrient cycling and uptakes, improving the ability of the plants to grow, fruit and flower. Mycorrhizal fungi form the intricate absorbing web that is the conduit for Garden Grounds to enter the plant. In addition, Garden Grounds is a natural deterrent against slugs and snails.

Thinking outside the pot will benefit your soil, your plants, and your planet. With Garden Grounds, your soil will be more alive, fertile, moist and your plants will be healthier and stronger.