Directly applying coffee grounds to indoor plant soil can cause excessive moisture retention, fungal overgrowth and even impair plant growth. Colleen Vanderlinden is a freelance writer and the author of Edible Gardening for the Midwest. If you have a garden, it’s time to stop wasting your coffee grounds. Cook. Coffee grounds can make gardens thrive, especially for naturally acid-loving plants that need nitrogen and potassium. If you have too much green material your compost pile will start to smell. Coffee grounds are organic matter, and contain a lot of nitrogen. Usually up to 25% coffee grounds it okay, and most households won’t even come close to that amount. Anything that adds organic matter is a good thing, and coffee grounds are no exception. Experts assume that the smell is also unpleasant to the bugs, which also helps encourage them to go elsewhere. Epsom Salt for Tomatoes – How Effective Is It? With care, used coffee grounds can be added to the vegetable garden soil The reason for this could be that coffee beans contain caffeine, which is said to suppress the growth of other plants to reduce competition for space, nutrients, water and sunlight. Lily … You’ll be making quality compost year round in your worm bin. If you’ve ever wanted to have a vermicompost bin, or ‘worm farm’, now is your chance. As already mentioned, coffee grounds are slightly acidic, but they won’t increase the soil acidity to any extreme. Coconut Oil for Dog’s Itchy Skin – How Effective Is It? 5 is Special), How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Vinegar – 3 Methods, The Best Compost Tea Recipe for a Thriving Garden, 7 Best Poo-Pourri Scents Ranked & My Top Picks (2020), 5 Best Granite Sealers to Keep Your Countertops Good as New, The Complete Guide to Using Colloidal Silver for Cats, Bayer Seresto Collar for Dogs Decoded and Debunked, Bissell Pet Stain Eraser Review – Buying Guide for 2020, How Coconut Oil Can Help Soothe & Heal Dog’s Paws. Fertilize With Coffee Grounds. They are acidic but do not change the pH levels of the soil when added. 10 Best Indoor Plants for Clean Air (No. There should be a 4-to-1 ratio of brown compost material to green compost material. Coffee Grounds for Plants – Everything You Need To Know? Colloidal Silver for Dogs – Benefits and How to Use It? However, be warned that some researchers quibble with this advice and don't think it is effective. Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. If you really want to take this gardening amendment to the next level, then visit one or two of the local coffee shops in your area and ask them what they do with their coffee grounds. If you intend to use your coffee grounds as a form of mulch, make sure that you measure the ratio properly. Are Coffee Grounds Good for Magnolia Trees? If you make a daily pot of coffee, you have a fabulous source of organic matter right at your fingertips. If you can manage to obtain a lot of coffee grounds all at once prior to planting, spread them all over the garden, then till them in with a rototiller to make it easier for you. Once you figure out the how, and why you want to amend your garden with coffee grounds you’ll never throw out coffee grounds and filters again. The good news is that the coffee grounds improved the water holding capacity of the soil and decreased weed growth. While used coffee grounds are only slightly acidic, fresh (unbrewed) coffee grounds have more acid. If you’re like most people, coffee is a daily habit for you. Coffee grounds have a slew of benefits for your garden, and these 7 ways to use coffee grounds in the garden will seriously change the coffee game! Also, Can I just take a small hand rake and mix it into the ground? Since compost needs plenty of nitrogen to break down the other organic matter you add, dumping your coffee grounds (and the filter if it’s decomposable) into the compost is a much better choice than throwing them in the garbage. Once it is established, you can start adding about a coffee pot’s worth of coffee grounds each day. Coffee grounds are abrasive, so a barrier of grounds placed near slug-prone plants may just save them from these garden pests. One research study found that using spent coffee grounds in growing broccoli, leek, radish, viola, and sunflower resulted in poorer growth in all soil types, with or without additional fertilizer. Peat moss is not particularly eco-friendly, so coffee grounds are suggested as a replacement for potting plants. Most soil does not contain the essential nutrients needed for optimal plant … Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. Coffee grounds aren’t just for growing vegetables, they make a … How Peppermint Oil Is a Safe & Natural Flea Repellent? Coffee grounds are routinely recommended for the garden but in the last couple of years I’ve seen several articles about the possible harm coffee grounds do to plants and soil.