what exactly does coffee grounds do to help plants?

Question

i get free grounds from starbucks, but how exactly do they help my plants?

Answer 1

It adds vitamins & minerals to the soil, keeps away slugs & snails, & (when mixed into the soil) is a good environment for earthworm activity.

It's good for acid-loving plants, like Roses, Azaleas & blueberries. I lightly sprinkle the grounds around the base of these plants to deter slugs, also. You can scratch it into the soil so it doesn't compact when it has accumulated. It also helps the soil retain moisture.

A lab test analysis showed that: "the grounds provide generous amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and copper.
They also release nitrogen into the soil as they degrade."
The full report is here:
http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/edible/article/0,20633,1208232,00.html

Rose gardeners reported coffee grounds make their roses larger & more colorful. Adding it to compost piles increases nitrogen balance. Encircling plants with coffee grounds & eggshells makes a barrier to repel pests, & works as a slow release fertilizer. If you are into vermi-posting, feed a little bit to your worms
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/181467/coffee_grounds_and_your_garden.html

Since the grounds are acidic, when using around non-acid loving plants, mix a tablespoon of garden lime into a five pound bag before you dig them into your garden or just put the grounds on the compost pile. "In the garden, mix at a rate of five pounds per three square feet. For composting, mix at a ratio of five pounds per three cubic feet of yard." waste.http://www.walterreeves.com/tools_chemicals/article.phtml?cat=22&id=86
"Worms like coffee grounds, so you may want to put a layer of coffee (grounds) on the bottom of your pile to attract worms."http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/faq.html

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Adds nitrogen to the soil, which is an essential nutrient for plants to grow. Its like a vitamin pill.

Answer 3

im not completely sure, but it has to do with worms.. the coffee grounds attract earth worms, which i guess give nutrients to the plants....