Coffee grounds are a source of organic matter and can be added to compost orused as a fertilizer.

Which Plants Are Coffee Grounds Good For?

Therefore, scattering coffee grounds indiscriminately around all your plants is not a good idea.

coffee grounds in the garden

The Spruce / Nusha Ashjaee

Coffee grounds also contain nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

There are two types of compost material:brown and green.

Items that contain nitrogen are considered green.

handful of fresh coffee grounds

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Other green compost materialsinclude food scrapsand grass clippings.

Use a 4-to-1 ratio of brown compost material to green compost material.

If you add too much green material, yourcompost binwill start to smell.

adding coffee grounds to a compost bin

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

When you don’t have enough green material, the compost pile will not heat up.

Only add cool coffee grounds to compost, as heat can kill beneficial microbes.

Small amounts of coffee grounds mixed with dry materials will give up their nitrogen.

adding coffee grounds to a plant

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Used coffee grounds are nearly neutral in pH, so they shouldn’t cause acidity concerns.

However, be careful not to use too many coffee grounds at once.

Coffee grounds can benefit soil drainage and aeration, but add grounds gradually toenhance garden soil.

coffee grounds at the base of a plant

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Too many coffee grounds pile up and lock together to create a water-resistant barrier in the soil.

Make a coffee ground “tea.”

Use this concoction as a liquid fertilizer for garden and container plants.

It also makes a great foliar feed sprayed directly on the leaves and stems of your plants.

The researchers think the poorer growth was due to the plant-toxic compounds inherent in the coffee grounds.

you might, but it should not be more than a thin sprinkling.

Occasionally using leftover coffee towater your potted plantsis a better idea.

The frequency of coffee grounds used on plants does not matter as much as the amount.

Used appropriately, coffee grounds improve soil and kill slugs.

Oregon State University Extension Service.

Using Coffee Grounds in the Garden.

The University of Arizona.

Coffee groundswill they perk up your plants?Washington State University Extension.