Coffee grinds on your garden

[dconklin]

We drink a lot of coffee here and a couple people have told me that putting the used coffee grinds on your garden is really good for the soil. I wish I would have started it before the soil started to get a little harder from the cold weather, but I think I will still try it.

I won't be starting my garden until the spring, but I want to get nutrients into the soil starting now. Are there any tips that you can share about putting the coffee grinds on the soil? I am not sure if all plants are ok with the soil and coffee grind mixture or if I should avoid planting certain plants in the mixture.

 

[green_momma2007]

My mom has done this for years. She just throws the grounds right on top of the soil. I don't think you need to worry about it being bad for any plants, it's just organic material, right?

 

[Tmann]

I throw them in my composter and they ultimately end up in my garden after decomposing.

 

[ChanellG]

You can dry the coffee grinds and reuse them to make a coffee tonic. You can also put them on the top of the soil in flower pots. Most people just lay them down just like with mulch, they don't have to be composted, much like banana peels.

 

[Arzosah]

Same general idea here - I throw my coffee grounds on the open soil. I've been told that they acidify the soil - so blueberries, for instance, will love them, and so will rhodedendrons - in fact, you don't have to buy extra compost if you keep going with the coffee grounds! You need to spread them around though, I've also heard that if they're too concentrated, e.g. more than 50/50, they can "suffocate" the plant, so to speak.

I love the idea of a coffee tonic - sort of like coffee in general, but weaker?

 

[ChanellG]

I love the idea of a coffee tonic - sort of like coffee in general, but weaker?

Yes, the idea is to have the coffee about the color of tea. I think the ratio of coffee to water is one part to three. I am pretty sure I posted a link to an article on it in the liquid fertilizer thread. I just remembered I have some grinds in the fridge I keep forgetting about.

 

[ACSAPA]

I'm a coffee addict, so I have a lot of grounds and I throw them on top of the soil on my plants. It's hard to tell if the coffee grounds make any difference. I'm not sure which of my plants are acid-loving plants, so I don't even know if the coffee is helping anything. I read somewhere that coffee grounds are good for soil, so I throw them in there out of habit, but I'm not sure what the coffee is supposed to do. I'm going to look for your post about the coffee tonic now.

Oh, I found your post about the coffee tonic. Apparently it's the nitrogen in coffee that plants like. And apparently I've been overdoing it with the coffee. I'm not supposed to be putting it on the same plants regularly. Good to know.

 

[Arzosah]

I like the sound of a coffee tonic, reading that. I could use the coffee ground to make the coffee tonic, and still throw them on the compost heap - which would mix them up with everything else and dilute their effect even further.

 

[maddie]

I generally leave then in a container mixed with soil a very thin layer and use the mixture to top up my pots as the young plants grow. I often but coffee grounds egg shells and banana peels into a blender to make an instant liquid compost for my roses and geraniums. I have notice that my coleus have a rich color when I use coffee grounds in the container. The pinks and reds are extra bright is what I have noticed.

 

[ChanellG]

I'm not sure which of my plants are acid-loving plants, so I don't even know if the coffee is helping anything.

It's easy enough to find out which plants like acidic soil; I think you can use vinegar to test your soil's acidity. I just took a look at my Pinterest garden board. I didn't see anything on acidity, but the vinegar test is there. You might find some of the other pins interesting: http://pinterest.com/cdgautreaux/great-garden-ideas/

 

[Pat]

Very informative post, I did not know not to put the grinds on the same plants, I should spread the grinds out more. Often when I have too much coffee grinds or have not been able to get out to the garden I will dry the grinds and keep them for later use.

My rosebush was very pretty this spring from all of the care and coffee it got last fall.

 

[Whitewolf2578]

Someone also told me that coffee grounds apparently keep the bugs away or something. I have heard that eggs shells help but I have never tried this whole coffee ground method, I should try it as I think I am just wasting the use of the grounds by putting them down the sink.

 

[ACSAPA]

I think the coffee grounds might be attracting insects. Two of my plants have ant hills in them now. Just what the world needs, hyperactive ants, jumped up on caffeine.

 

[Rosyrain]

Another source of coffee grounds is Starbucks if you have one in your area. They usually have a basket at the front of the store in which they put out free bags of used grounds for gardeners.

 

[Jack Rouse]

If you put them around your tomatoes and cumbers you get coffee flavoured ones