You enjoy a good cup of coffee. Do you think your plant would too? It turns out that some plants do like coffee, but your don't have to waste your good brew on them. Instead, you can make your coffee and then share the coffee grounds with them.
In this article, we are going to look at many of the plants that like coffee grounds. We will also talk about some of the plants that don't like coffee grounds. First, though, let's look at what is in coffee grounds that would make them beneficial to plants in the first place.
What's in coffee grounds for plants
The key ingredient that coffee grounds have in them is nitrogen. Many people buy fertilizers to add nitrogen to their soil. Nitrogen is important for plants because they use it to produce chlorophyll and build proteins. Without nitrogen, plants cannot survive.
Coffee grounds are also porous organic matter that helps to retain moister, as well as, drain excess moisture. It works as a regulator for water in your soil.
Another positive for coffee grounds and your plants is that they attract good bacteria and worms. Worms are good for your plants because they feed on dead roots and other rotting material, including coffee grounds. The worms then add back good nutrients and help the soil to drain better by moving around.
pH of coffee grounds
The pH of coffee grounds is probably the single most sighted reason to use or not use coffee grounds in your plants' soil. Like anything you add to your soil, you have to know the effects it will have on your plants. The easiest way to know if it will effect your plants in a negative or a positive way is to know what pH your plants like, test your soils current condition, and then determine if you should add coffee grounds to your soil.
Generally, coffee grounds are acidic when they are fresh and have not had water run through them. Once they have been brewed they take on a more neutral pH level. With that said, you should always test a little in your soil and see how it affects the pH level before treating your whole garden.
If you soil is too acidic for your plants, then adding used coffee grounds can help to raise the pH closer to neutral. If your soil is alkaline you can add brewed coffee grounds to make it neutral. You can also add fresh coffee grounds to alkaline and neutral soil to make it more acidic.
Do tomatoes like coffee grounds?
Yes, tomatoes like coffee grounds. Tomatoes like soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. The soil should be between 6.0 and 7.0, but some tomato plants can tolerate a pH a little lower than 6.0. Tomatoes also like soil that drains well.
If your soil is alkaline or neutral, fresh coffee grounds can help your tomato plants by making the soil more acidic. If your soil is too acidic for your tomato plants, add some used coffee grounds to raise the pH closer to neutral.
Do roses like coffee grounds?
Roses like soil that is slightly acidic, but do not have a large range like tomatoes. Roses like a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. Roses would benefit more from brewed coffee grounds if the soil is too acidic. It is probably not recommended to add fresh coffee grounds to the soil of roses, because it may cause the soil to become to acidic.
Do hostas like coffee grounds?
Hostas can thrive in a wide range of soil pH levels. Hostas do well in soil that has a pH between 5.5 and 7.5. Hostas definitely like coffee grounds. You just need to test your soil to see what the current pH is at. Then determine if you should add fresh or used coffee grounds to the soil for your hostas.
Do succulents like coffee grounds?
Succulents like to drink a lot of water. So, should you give them coffee to drink or add coffee grounds to your succulents' soil. Succulents like slightly acidic soil with a pH range of 5.5 – 6.5. Fresh coffee or coffee grounds can help to lower the pH if your soil is too alkaline or neutral for your succulents. Give them a little coffee, they will thank you for it.
Do peace lilies like coffee grounds?
Peace lilies decorate many homes and offices. As I write this, I am looking at a peace lily in my living room. You, like me, may be wondering if your peace lily will like coffee grounds.
Peace lilies like slightly acidic soil. The pH range they prefer is between 5.5 and 6.5. A little coffee or fresh coffee grounds will do wonders for your peace lilies. Be sure to test the pH level of you peace lily soil as you go through the process of adding coffee to its soil.
Do rhododendrons like coffee grounds?
Rhododendrons love acidic soil. Fresh coffee grounds can help to boost your soil's acidity for your rhododendrons. You can also pour liquid coffee around your rhododendrons to lower the soil's pH.
Houseplants that like coffee
You want the best for your houseplants. They provide you with beautiful flowers, oxygen, and comfort. Which houseplants should you give coffee grounds?
Houseplants that like acidic to slightly acidic soil will like fresh coffee grounds the most. Some of the house plants that will do well with coffee grounds are cactus, succulents, peace lilies, and rubber plants.
Coffee grounds in the vegetable garden
Different vegetables like varies pH levels in their soil. Highly acidic soil loving vegetables like sweet potato, rhubarb, and egg plant will greatly benefit from fresh coffee grounds.
Slightly acidic soil loving vegetables like sunflowers, radish, and pumpkins will also do well with coffee grounds. You want to be more careful when you are adding it to the soil. Too much acid will be harmful to these vegetables.
Neutral and alkaline loving vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and cabbage can benefit from used coffee grounds if the soil is too alkaline or too acidic. Used coffee grounds can bring the pH into a more favorable setting for these vegetables.
Can you put too much coffee grounds in your garden?
You can definitely put too much coffee grounds in your soil. Fresh coffee grounds lower the pH of your soil making it acidic. If you put a lot of coffee grounds without testing the soil before and while you are adding them, you could cause your soil to become highly toxic to your plants.
How to keep coffee grounds from compacting in the soil
I'm sure you have seen how packed used coffee grounds can get. If they are packed together, they can get pretty tight. A good way to help prevent coffee grounds from becoming compacted in your soil is to add some straw or other organic material to them before adding them to your soil.
You can also add some sand to your coffee grounds to stop them from clumping together.
Will coffee grounds kill ants?
It would be nice if placing coffee grounds around your plants would kill ants, but it is not the case. Coffee grounds don't kill ants. Coffee grounds may deter ants, but they will just work around them. There will not be much benefit in using coffee grounds in your garden to prevent ants.
What bugs do coffee grounds deter?
Coffee grounds can be used to keep some bugs away from your plants. It is not really known what in coffee grounds deters some bugs. Some believe it is the smell that repels bugs. Others believe that caffeine is what does the job.
Snails and slugs don't like coffee grounds. Fleas are repelled by coffee grounds. Ants tend to move away from coffee grounds if there are enough grounds to bother them. Mosquitoes don't like coffee grounds. Burning coffee grounds is a good deterrent for mosquitoes. Wasps and bees may also be detoured by coffee grounds.
Can I pour coffee on my plants?
Pouring coffee directly on your plants is not a good idea; especially if it is hot. But you can pour coffee into the soil around your plants. This will have the same effect as placing fresh coffee grounds in the soil. Only pour coffee into soil that you want to raise the pH level.
Do coffee grounds attract rats?
All this talk about putting coffee grounds around your plants is great, but if coffee grounds attract rats you definitely don't want to use them. The good news is coffee grounds don't attract rats. They are not really a deterrent to rats when it comes to smell. But rats don't like to eat them.
Coffee grounds can be a good way to keep rats out of your compost pile. By mixing in coffee grounds to your compost pile, rats will stray away from eating in it. You will then also get the nutritional value from the coffee grounds in your compost for your plants.
Are used coffee grounds good for potted plants?
Used or unused coffee grounds will have the same effect on your plants whether they are planted in the ground or in a pot. Just remember that your potted plants have a small amount of soil. A little bit of coffee grounds will go a long way in your pots.
Putting coffee grounds in your compost pile
Your compost pile can benefit from the nitrogen in coffee grounds. If you don't want to affect the pH of your compost too much, you should put used coffee grounds in it. Used coffee grounds are probably the best option for your compost pile because you have already gotten value out of them by drinking coffee.
Putting fresh coffee grounds in your compost will lower the pH and make your compost pile acidic. Also, fresh coffee grounds are expensive and you won't get to enjoy any coffee from them. It is best to put used coffee grounds in your compost pile and let other elements of the pile affect the pH level.
Drink your coffee and let your plants enjoy some too
We all love our coffee and many of our plants will too. Your plants can benefit from coffee grounds. Used and new coffee grounds have different effects on your soil. Always test your soil before adding coffee grounds to it.
Have fun and give your plants a drink of coffee.
