A SUPERMARKET has started giving used ground coffee to gardeners in Harwich.

Morrisons on Iconfield Park will bag up the ground coffee beans used in the store's cafe and give them away to gardeners to help fertilise their plants.

The coffee is a source of nitrogen which is needed by plants in order to grow.

They also encourage the growth of micro-organisms and are thought to attract earth worms.

Gardeners can either compost their used coffee grounds or put them directly into the soil around their plants. Putting it directly into the soil also adds organic matter which improves soil’s water retention, drainage and structure.

Paul Tracey, Harwich store manager, said: "Used coffee grounds are a great organic resource which gardeners can use in their composter or soil.

"We sell a lot of cups of coffee in our stores and don’t like to see anything going to waste - so it’s great to see this natural fertiliser going to a good home.

"We hope that when spring comes Harwich’s plants will be in full bloom as a result."

Pick up your used ground coffee beans from the cafe at Morrisons in Iconfield Park, Dovercourt.