coffee grinds as fertilizer?

Question

I hear coffee grinds is a good organic fertilizer but not sure how to use it. Should it be mixed in the soil or can you just sprinkle on top? Does it matter? Also, I'm specifically using them for my window box tomato plant (city living). Is it good for tomato plants and how much coffee should I use?

Answer 1

Coffee grounds are good for acid-loving plants, like tomatoes, roses, azaleas & blueberries. I lightly sprinkle the coffee grounds around the base of these plants (along with crushed eggshells) to deter slugs, also. You can eventually scratch it into the soil so it doesn't compact when it has accumulated. That 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

Dilute with water for a gentle, fast-acting liquid fertilizer. Use about a half-pound can of wet grounds in a five-gallon bucket of water; let sit outdoors to achieve ambient temperature. Mix into soil for houseplants.
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm

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.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/181467/coffee_grounds_and_your_garden.html
Good luck! Hope this is helpful.

Coffee grounds enrich the soil, & when mixed into the soil, makes it less subject to compaction... which makes it a better environment for earthworms & for the organisms that keep a plant healthy. The earthworm's movement within the soil also help improve drainage, which keeps the plant roots from rotting. If you start a compost pile, put a layer of coffee (grounds) on the bottom of your pile to attract earthworms.
http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/faq.html

Since the grounds are acidic, if you decide to use it on 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."
http://www.walterreeves.com/tools_chemicals/article.phtml?cat=22&id=86

Good luck! Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

i heard the same thing about coffee grinds! i heard that it doesn't matter if u mix it up with the soil or just sprinkle it around on the top. also u can use it for flowers & veggies so to answer your question about does it matter how u use it i would say no it doesn't matter. i heard this in a hair salon & also i heard that it does work & according to how big your window box is matters on how much u should use. if your window box is small then use a small amount of coffee grinds. if your window box is big then u would use more of the coffee grinds. let me know how u make out ok? bb, [e-mail] p.s. i also heard that hair that was cut off & swept up was also good to use in your garden too!

Answer 3

I have a flower bed close to the house, where I throw my used coffee grounds and tea grounds on top of the ground and then let the rain mix it in. The plants of every variety thrive there, but it is also good soil.

Answer 4

i've heard that tomato plants need calcium, and i know it humans coffee being a diuretic can cause us to absorb less calcium. if you do put some coffee grounds on your plants i'd also put some ground up egg shells in the soil.
egg shells are good for it anyway because of the calcium content

Answer 5

Coffee grounds are super for plants, especially the acid loving ones. To add additional calcium use Milk water, egg shells take forever to release the calcium, but do deter slugs.