How to use coffee grounds as fertilizer?

Author: Carol Rempel  |  Last update: Saturday, May 31, 2025

Add to soil: Composted coffee grounds can be added directly to soil or potting mix to fertilize plants. Make sure to mix them in well. Use as a liquid fertilizer: A dilution of coffee grounds in water can be applied as a liquid fertilizer. Add 2 cups of coffee grounds to 5 gallons of water and allow to steep overnight.

Can I just sprinkle coffee grounds on plants?

Coffee grounds can most certainly be added to your compost and also directly to your soil. Instead of simply tossing them out though, you may wish to incorporate them a bit more thoroughly by digging them in.

What kind of plants do you put coffee grounds on?

There are a select few plants that can benefit from fresh grounds—including acidity-loving Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Gardenias, Azaleas, Lily of the Valley, blueberries, carrots, and radishes—but generally, most common houseplants will prefer low to no acidity.

What are the disadvantages of coffee grounds as fertilizer?

Salts: Coffee grounds can contain salts, which can build up in the soil over time and become toxic to plants. Mold: Wet coffee grounds can attract mold, which can be harmful to plants. Caffeine: While caffeine is not toxic to plants in small quantities, it can be harmful if used in large amounts.

Which plant does not like coffee grounds?

What Plants Don't Like Coffee Grounds? Knowing that most coffee grounds are acid-leaning, don't use fresh coffee grounds on plants that prefer alkaline soil. This includes asparagus, campanula, salvia, achillea and Mediterranean herbs like lavender, thyme and rosemary.

How to use Coffee Grounds as a FREE Fertilizer for your Plants

How to add coffee grounds to soil?

When using coffee grounds as a soil amendment, Brewer recommends working in a half inch to a depth of 4 inches. If used as a mulch on top of the soil, a layer of leaves or bark mulch helps keep the grounds from drying out and repelling water.

Is coffee bad for any plants?

Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, producing healthy green growth and strong stems. Coffee also contains calcium and magnesium — both of which are beneficial to plant health. To use coffee as a plant fertilizer, you'll need to dilute it.

Where should coffee grounds not be used in the garden?

For example, avoid adding any caffeine to plants that are germinating. Freshly seeded areas should be avoided as well. Fresh grounds, and caffeine in general, have allelopathic properties. This can stunt plant growth and do more harm than good.

Can you put too much coffee grounds on plants?

However, be careful not to use too many coffee grounds at once. Coffee grounds can benefit soil drainage and aeration, but add grounds gradually to enhance garden soil. Too many coffee grounds pile up and lock together to create a water-resistant barrier in the soil.

Why not to use ground coffee?

Once coffee has been ground, it will start to oxidise and lose flavour. Now don't get us wrong, if you're buying pre-ground speciality coffee you'll still be enjoying that delicious complexity of flavour you love.

How much coffee grounds to mix with soil?

Like any type of fertilizer, coffee grounds are only effective when used sparingly. It is never a good idea to add too much, as that could do more harm than good. The proper proportion is usually around 4 to 1, or twenty-five percent of coffee grounds to mineral soils by volume.

Are egg shells good for plants?

The eggshells provide calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are essential for healthy plant growth! Natural pest deterrent – The sharp edges of the eggshells also act as a natural pest deterrent, helping keep critters away from your plants and protecting the roots.

What plants like banana water?

Here are some plants that appreciate the addition of banana water to their regular watering schedule:
  • Tropical houseplants such as pothos, snake plants, monsteras, and philodendrons;
  • Anthuriums;
  • Orchids;
  • Tomatoes;
  • Bell Peppers;
  • Roses;
  • Air plants;
  • Ferns;

When should I add coffee grounds to my plants?

How Often Should You Add Coffee Grounds to Plants? You can fertilize houseplants an average of 7 to 10 days in a row, but no more, as there is a risk of over-acidification of the soil. A cup of ground coffee should be added to the compost once a week.

Which plants love coffee?

COFFEE GROUNDS FOR INDOOR PLANTS

Houseplants that prefer acid soil will be more receptive to coffee ground use. These include African violet, croton, gloxinia, monstera, peperomia, and philodendron.

How to use old coffee grounds?

What to do with used coffee grounds – 7 ideas to try
  1. Use grounds as raw fertilizer – and feed the worms. ...
  2. Touch up furniture scratches. ...
  3. Use your old grounds to deter snails, slugs and cats from the garden.

What plants should not have coffee grounds?

However, there are some plants that you should avoid using coffee grounds on. Plants that prefer alkaline soil, like lavender and lilacs, can be harmed by the acidity of coffee grounds. Plants that are sensitive to caffeine, such as geraniums and some herbs, can also be affected by the presence of coffee grounds.

How often can I water my plants with coffee grounds?

Can you give plants too much coffee? Yes, excess coffee or coffee ground is detrimental to plant growth. Only water your plants with diluted coffee once a week or add a thin layer of coffee grounds directly to plants.

Do worms like coffee grounds?

Worms like coffee grounds, so you may want to put a layer of coffee on the bottom of your pile to attract worms. How often do I have to turn the pile? The more you turn the pile, the quicker you will produce compost. Many people would rather let their pile sit and let nature do her work over a several month period.

Can you add coffee grounds directly to soil?

Coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation. Coffee grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth.

What pests hate coffee grounds?

The following insects have been reported to be disgusted by the scent of coffee grounds:
  • Slugs.
  • Bees.
  • Wasps.
  • Fleas.
  • Ants.
  • Snails.

What happens when you bury coffee grounds in the garden?

If you add coffee grounds to the soil in a thick layer, they will be compacted into a crust and be nearly impermeable to water. But if it is incorporated into the soil, they greatly improve both the texture as well as the organic content. Being slightly acidic, coffee grounds lower the pH of the soil.

Do tomatoes like coffee grounds?

Tomatoes thrive in loamy soils with good drainage and high organic matter content. Adding composted coffee grounds to planting beds is a great way to build healthy soil for tomato planting but won't provide all the required nutrients.

Is sugar good for plants?

Since we now know that using sugar in our waterings won't help plants effectively, we must also consider the potential harm. The number one effect that most studies have found is that sugar can reduce the plants' ability to absorb or take in any water.

How often should I use coffee grounds on roses?

Once or twice a month is best for spreading leftover coffee grounds beneath roses. Any more frequently and you can risk increasing the soil's acidic levels and reducing the plant's ability to absorb essential nutrients.

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