The use of coffee grounds as fertilizer is justified by several factors. One of them is the love of some gardeners and summer residents for natural organic fertilizers. The second argument is the availability and effectiveness of organic matter for the growth of both indoor and garden crops.
Despite its apparent exoticism, the dried mass is actively used by domestic gardeners and gardeners when growing many plants. This product has proven itself as a natural source of nitrogen, magnesium and potassium. Other properties that can be considered priority include:
Cats cannot stand the smell of coffee and citrus fruits. To discourage a pet from indoor plants, owners mix the dried grounds with grated lemon zest in equal parts and pour the mixture into flower pots.
What plants is coffee suitable for?
Dried coffee is used as a fertilizer for indoor plants, vegetable crops, and root crops. They respond favorably to him:
- tomatoes, physalis;
- Bell pepper;
- legumes;
- carrot;
- radish;
- black radish and turnip.
Among the flowers, the preferred coffee drink is:
Before feeding flowers with coffee grounds, you need to find out whether they increase the acidity of the soil. Despite the fact that coffee beans have a slight acidity, after brewing it is neutralized, so there is no need to worry about increasing the acidity level of the soil. As a precaution, the organic residue can be washed with water.
Since the composition contains no more than 2% nitrogen, it is not worth using raw materials as the main fertilizer. Gardeners prefer to use it as an additive to mulch in flower beds to repel ants, snails and other pests.
Ways to use sleeping coffee
Budget fertilizer is used in several variations:
- mixing with seeds;
- mixing with soil;
- mulching the soil;
- digging;
- watering;
- making compost.
Let's consider each of the options in more detail.
Mixing with seeds is a current method of application when planting seeds in open ground in furrows. Small planting material of carrots, radishes, parsley, fennel, cilantro is mixed with dried coffee mass in a ratio of 1:3 and sown in the prepared hole. In this case, ground boiled grains will ensure not only optimal drainage, but also uniform distribution of seeds. At the initial stage of growth and development of root crops, bait will provide them with the necessary amount of phosphorus and nitrogen.
Video about options for using home organics.
Mixing with soil and mulching
Mixing with soil is a technique used when picking tomatoes. Coffee cake is mixed with soil in a ratio of 1:10 and poured into containers where the seedlings will be buried. The bait begins to act immediately after the first watering. By absorbing moisture, coffee grains release nitrogen into the soil, which is necessary for the growth and rooting of young tomatoes.
When transplanting berries into open ground, add 1-2 tbsp to the bottom of the planting hole. spoons of boiled ground coffee.
Mulching the soil is applicable for both indoor plants and those growing in open ground. The ground around the trunk is sprinkled with dried raw materials and spilled with plenty of water. Each time you irrigate the soil under the bush, the nitrogen released from the grains will penetrate into the soil along with moisture and nourish the root system of the plant.
Digging, powdering and watering
Digging is a method that requires special care. The soil next to the tillering node (main stem) is dug in several places to a depth of 3 to 6 cm, depending on the size of the hole. Add 1 tbsp to each hole. spoon of grounds, cover with earth on top. Digging allows you to avoid the formation of a crust on the soil surface, which will require constant loosening and moistening.
An alternative to digging in is powder. The soil in the hole or pot is mulched with dried grounds. Sprinkle soil on top of the fertilizer; as a crust forms, the surface is loosened and irrigated with warm water.
The most effective way to feed is to moisten the soil under the bush with a weak solution of coffee. To do this, ground coffee is boiled until fully cooked (1 glass) and diluted with cool water in a 1:1 ratio. The prepared mixture is watered over seedlings, bushes, root crops and flower stalks.
Making compost
Compost is an excellent fertilizer for flowers. To prepare it, sleep organic matter, rotted straw, fallen leaves, and bone meal are used in proportions of 2:1:1:1. The volume of the workpiece should not exceed 400 g. The mixture is poured into a compost container, 400 g of chernozem is added and water is poured until it becomes a thick porridge.
Using a wooden stick, holes are made in the compost to saturate the raw material with moisture and accelerate the decomposition process.
Over the next week, the mixture is watered generously and the recesses are renewed daily. A month later, earthworms are added to the compost and the soil in the holes is fertilized with them. Before using the infusion as a fertilizer, you need to make sure it has cooled down. Hot compost can scald and destroy plants.
The subtleties of preparing fertilizer: what is possible and what is not?
It is worth noting that not every coffee is suitable as a fertilizer. To enrich the soil it is prohibited to use:
- instant and granulated coffee;
- packaged mixture of the “3 in 1” type, consisting of sugar, milk powder and instant coffee;
- coffee capsules;
- ground, uncooked grains;
- coffee drink based on soluble, granulated, freeze-dried and packaged raw materials.
Only the grounds of dried ground coffee or brewed coffee based on crushed beans are suitable for feeding.
The raw mass is dangerous for plants, as it has a high concentration of acids. Once in the soil, these components inhibit the development and vegetation of most plants. During the digestion process, these acids are released from the grains and break down into less complex compounds.
Raw grains added to the ground can provoke the formation of mold on the surface of the soil and the root part of the stems. Therefore, before use, the residue obtained after the drink is thoroughly dried in a well-ventilated place or in the oven. Dried organic matter is packaged in plastic bags, glass jars and stored in a cool place. Undried raw materials can be added to the compost pit.
Coffee is applied as a fertilizer for plants from March to September. In autumn-winter, house flowers need rest. Additional bait can cause premature flowering and cycle failure.
Coffee groundbait is an alternative to traditional chemical and organic fertilizers. But most gardeners and summer residents prefer to combine it with other nutritious fertilizers.
Organic fertilizers benefit not only the plants, but also the soil. True, you need to wait longer for the effect, since soil bacteria need time to convert plant residues into nutritious humus.
With the constant use of organic matter, the soil is not depleted, it is in a loose state, it is “alive” thanks to microorganisms that produce humic acids - the main indicator of fertility. Coffee cake is often used as a fertilizer for indoor plants or in gardening. due to its rich nutritional composition.
Coffee grounds are used as fertilizer in several ways - mulching, watering, adding when transplanting into the ground.
Nutritional value of coffee for plants
The amount of nutritional components in coffee grounds depends primarily on the preparation method. During vacuum cooking, most proteins, amino acids, potassium, and magnesium enter the water. With the Turkish method of preparing coffee, more nutritional components remain.
It is believed that caffeine inhibits the growth of crops, but after heat treatment there is little of it left in the cake, so coffee is used safely as a fertilizer for indoor plants.
Coffee is also used fresh. True, ground it contains a lot of active nitrogen, which, when decomposed, releases ammonia and can harm the root system.
Because of its ability to increase soil acidity, ground coffee benefits plants that prefer low soil pH - rhododendrons, heathers, azaleas, hydrangeas.
After digestion, the pH level decreases several times, so there is no danger to plants. It is better to first soak ground coffee as a flower fertilizer in water, then spray or water it at the root.
Coffee grounds - benefits for vegetables
Due to its high potassium content, coffee cake is used for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and other vegetable crops. If it is possible to get a lot of coffee residues somewhere, and these are cafes, restaurants, private stores, then you can make fertilizing for fruit trees. Fruiting next year will be better.
Flowering ornamental plants that need potassium, starting from the budding period, also respond to the introduction of coffee cake - used as mulch or by watering.
Coffee grounds are used not only for fertilizer. It attracts earthworms to the site, which help improve soil aeration, and also release coprolites rich in humic acids into the soil.
Methods of application
First of all, you need to know that it is not recommended to fertilize indoor plants with fresh coffee cake. High humidity promotes the growth of mold spores. Before embedding in the ground, the grounds are dried.
If a dacha farm has a farm for growing red Californian worms, then the spent coffee is used as bait so that the worms move to a new place where food is prepared for them, while the lower layer of compost is freed from eukaryotes and can be used in the garden. When coffee is processed by worms, fertilizers rich in nutrients and enzymes are obtained - humates.
When placed in compost, coffee grounds perform the function of nitrogen components - they start combustion processes and maintain the temperature inside the compost heap. Sometimes they buy cheap ground coffee for this and add layers of compost.
To prevent a dry crust from forming on the ground, the coffee substrate is mixed with hay, peat or ready-made compost. To prevent slugs from damaging tomato seedlings, the grounds are mixed with ash and scattered around the bushes.
Where else can you use coffee grounds to your advantage:
- As protection against mice. They can't stand the smell of coffee.
- Against wireworms in potato beds.
- As a magnesium supplement for berry bushes.
If mineral fertilizers are used to grow onions, they grow large, but are not stored for long. When fertilized with organic fertilizers, the size of the bulbs is average, but has good shelf life.
For their needs, onions are grown only organically. The main valuable component for onions is nitrogen. Per square meter of onion bed you need to dig 2 cups of cake. If you fertilize an area for green plants - lettuce, spinach - with coffee substrate, the harvest will be greater due to the nitrogen content.
Spraying decorative flowers with coffee grounds causes various pests to stop being interested in the buds and go elsewhere. Roses, petunias, peonies, and tulips are protected in this way. Fertilizer is applied in the spring - in April or March, then periodically added every three weeks. This helps enhance the color of the peduncles and prolong flowering.
Important! Do not use instant coffee - it contains too many chemicals, so the plants may die
To prevent midges from infesting your apartment, the top layer of soil in the pots should dry well. Not all flowers can be watered with coffee. Cacti and other types of succulents do not like such fertilizing because they need calcium, and the grounds acidify the soil.
Video: Coffee cake and its use in the garden
Large palm plants - ficuses, dracaenas are fed once a month with two tablespoons of coffee grounds. When growing mushrooms, the maturation of the mycelium accelerates and the yield of mushroom crops increases.
The benefits of coffee cake for seedlings
When planting seeds for seedlings, the remaining coffee grounds are used as a leavening agent to make it easier for the roots to germinate. Fertilizer also makes it possible for oxygen to enter the soil.
Small seeds of dill and parsley are mixed with sand and dry coffee to distribute them evenly on the garden bed. Caffeine content in small doses promotes rapid germination.
To get a decent harvest of eggplants, as well as peppers, as well as other vegetable crops, in most regions they must first be sown as seedlings. It is very important to choose the most suitable planting time for your climate zone. Eggplant is a very capricious crop. It is specific in development and sensitive to growing conditions. For some gardeners, plants grow well and produce a rich harvest. Others have been trying to grow them for several years in a row, and each time without success. Moreover, the plots can be located nearby. Find out when to plant eggplants according to the Lunar calendar in 2020, favorable days for planting seeds and transferring seedlings to a permanent place. Secrets of successfully sowing eggplant seedlings at home.
Soaking seeds before sowing is a process that helps increase the yield of garden plants. This process also makes it possible to reduce the incidence of diseases in garden crops as a result of their growth. A variety of means are used to soak seed. This could be, for example, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, growth stimulants, or even just water. It is not uncommon to soak seeds in aloe juice. We have all probably heard about such a plant as Aloe. Everyone roughly knows what kind of plant this is. Treating aloe seeds before planting, read our article.
In this article we will talk about a very important topic, or rather about seed treatment before sowing. At the moment, there are many really effective methods that are used when soaking seeds. Some of them are more effective, and some are less effective. The use of some is more unsafe (for example, there is a risk of “burning” the seeds if the concentration of the substance in the solution is exceeded). According to many experienced agronomists, the most reliable and effective way for soaking seeds and germinating seeds is a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide.
Carrots are not a very unpretentious vegetable that can be grown in any area without seedlings, i.e. sow seeds directly into open ground. However, it is not very true to count on their vitality: carrot seeds germinate very slowly, the vegetable itself is susceptible to many diseases, it is very often affected by pests, because of which it is possible that the harvest may become late and not as large as thought get summer resident. A solution for summer residents has long been discovered: proper processing of carrot seeds ensures smooth germination and protects the vegetable from various troubles. For treatment of carrot seeds before planting for quick germination, read our article.
Sweet, ripe, juicy and so tasty tomatoes originate from seeds, or rather, when they are sown as seedlings. A good result of growing tomato seedlings directly depends on the quality of the seed material, but is also very dependent on the preparation of the seeds. Thus, pre-sowing treatment of tomato seeds before sowing them for seedlings is one of the main agrotechnical measures. If you want to achieve a large harvest of tasty and ripe tomatoes, you cannot do without processing. There are several methods for this procedure. We will talk about each option in detail in this article.
Growing tomatoes in the Moscow region is a rather difficult task. Summers in the region are often cool and humid with many stormy days. Tilling the soil and preparing it for placing seedlings requires considerable effort: dense, clayey soils predominate in the Moscow region. Every spring, melt water stagnates in garden plots. The soil warms up slowly, and many people fail to plant seedlings in the beds for a long time. However, summer residents do not lose heart and with enviable tenacity they are trying to grow a full-fledged crop of tomatoes in their gardens. Summer residents in the middle zone have extensive experience in growing tomatoes. Of course, it’s not easy for beginners in this business; after all, the climate of the region is not particularly suitable for a heat-loving crop, but with the right choice of tomato varieties, you can get excellent harvests in the Moscow region. This article describes the best varieties of tomatoes for the Moscow region in 2020, suitable for growing in various regions of the country. We will also find out when to plant tomatoes in 2020 in the Moscow region according to the Lunar calendar.
But not everything always works out according to the rules. There are circumstances in which you may find yourself stuck in deep winter with tulip bulbs in your hands. In this case, you can no longer plant them outside in frozen soil. So is it possible to plant tulips in spring? Can. But this should not be done thoughtlessly, but in accordance with certain rules. Proper spring planting of tulips will have a good effect on the condition of the plants, and can even stimulate them to bloom. From this article you will also learn when is the best time to plant tulips in 2020 according to the lunar calendar.
It turns out that not only people love coffee, but also plants. The grounds that remain after cooking are especially valuable for their health and development. A huge amount of ground coffee is drunk every day, and the cake is simply thrown away. Let's find out why coffee grounds are useful for indoor plants.
Nutrients in coffee grounds
Nitrogen. This chemical element is responsible for plant growth, development and nutrition with the absorption of sunlight.
Phosphorus – stimulates the development of the root system, flowering, ovary formation and fruit ripening.
Potassium makes plants immune to cold and even frost. Thanks to it, plants have the ability to resist diseases and are perfectly stored in winter.
Calcium - without this microelement, plant leaves and roots do not develop and feed well.
In addition to those listed, coffee contains carbohydrates, iron, copper and other microelements.
What coffee grounds contain
The aroma of coffee repels pests and can be an excellent replacement for expensive fertilizers. Therefore, lovers of natural ground coffee should not throw away the grounds and use them for plants. That's why experts advise using this inexpensive and pleasant fertilizer for indoor plants:
- coffee adapts perfectly to any soil;
- contains potassium, magnesium and vitamins for plants in sufficient quantities;
- repels pests;
- does not have an unpleasant odor, unlike other fertilizers.
Benefits of coffee for plants
For a long time it was believed that coffee grounds were used as a fertilizer only on alkaline soils or for plants that need increased acidity of the soil. This is due to the increased acidity of the coffee itself. However, later researchers found that coffee grounds have a neutral Ph. Despite the fact that even by taste you can determine some sourness inherent in the coffee bean, this acid is completely washed out during the preparation of the drink. Therefore, the residue that is used to fertilize the beds is absolutely neutral. 
Coffee grounds as fertilizer for plants
First of all, the grounds are added in small quantities to the soil when replanting the plant. Then it becomes more loose and airy, allowing the plant to receive a uniform amount of oxygen. You can also water plants in which various pests have appeared with the leftover coffee. Coffee can be a worthy and inexpensive replacement for modern and expensive fertilizers. It is for this reason that cold and fresh grounds do not need to be dried immediately. Simply water the plant with the leftover coffee. The grounds can be added not only to flowers, but also to various vegetables. For example, carrots. If its seeds are watered with coffee or a small amount of grounds, the fruits will ripen faster and will soon delight you with a sweetish, pleasant taste.
For which plants is coffee grounds suitable as fertilizer?
For flowers. The benefits of coffee waste in flower beds are twofold: improving soil composition and pest control. In the first case, the cake is mixed with sand. In the second, dry grounds are dug into the soil, and the plants themselves are treated with a mixture of water and coffee residues. 
Use in rosaries. A water solution with grounds will protect roses from snails and ants, and the specific smell of coffee will distract flying pests from the buds. On soil soaked in coffee cake, roses grow better, since the flowers receive the necessary nutrients that stimulate the growth of basal shoots, including nitrogen.
For variegated plants. Tulips, peonies, hostas and lilies will bloom faster and last longer if coffee fertilizers are applied to the soil. Another effect for these types of plants is that the leaves and buds become more vibrant and saturated. Coffee grounds are also used in the fight against slugs that actively eat up the bulbs.
Preparing the Coffee Grounds
It is unlikely that anyone will be able to collect a large amount of grounds at once; usually ground coffee is collected over a long period of time. It is advisable to prepare the cake in the winter so that it is ready for the planting season. After each cup of coffee, the remains are collected and dried on paper to completely extract the moisture. The dried cake is collected in a jar and stored in a dark place.
Do not use instant coffee or unused ground coffee to prepare fertilizer. 
Ways to use coffee grounds
Air freshener. Coffee grounds can be added to a vase of flowers. It will organically fit into the overall composition, becoming a natural decorative filler, and will also act as an air freshener that can be used in the bathroom, toilet or living room.
Anti-cellulite mask. Caffeine improves blood circulation and removes excess fluid from the body. Thanks to this property, it is useful in the fight against cellulite.
Dish washing powder. Thanks to their coarse structure, coffee grounds are great for scrubbing away dried dirt and food debris. It can be used to wash pots and pans instead of soda and household chemicals, which are dangerous to people and the environment.
Mask against hair loss. You can use coffee grounds to massage your scalp. This strengthens the hair roots and promotes their growth.
Coffee grounds compost
Used coffee couldn't be simpler - just throw the grounds into the compost heap. Again, given the controversy over its acidity, for greater peace of mind it is advisable to first rinse it under running water.
Following the grounds, you can also send paper coffee filters. All this will rot and benefit the plants. 
Benefits of Coffee Grounds in Soil
Useful material. Coffee drink and its grounds are an excellent source of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, as well as magnesium and calcium. Any gardener who has been growing a variety of crops for many years knows the real impact of these substances on the growth of seedlings.
Aeration. Coffee grounds added to the soil significantly loosens it. This promotes better penetration of oxygen to the roots.
Insect repellent. Some insects cannot stand the smell of coffee at all. One of these insects is the fruit fly.
Increased acidity. Adding coffee to the soil is beneficial for plants that like extra acidity. The grounds themselves have an acidity close to neutral, which can also be used when growing certain crops. Mulching tomatoes in a greenhouse
What else should you consider when fertilizing the soil with coffee grounds?
Coffee beans initially have high acidity. When brewing coffee, excess acid goes into the finished drink, so this fertilizer does not affect the acidity of the soil. If you want to feed your plants with fresh coffee, you need to do this with great care. Not all of them will tolerate an acidic reaction, this is especially true for flowers. Coffee grounds are a very healthy composition rich in microelements. But this does not mean that you should only use it. Coffee is a good support mixture. But it cannot replace traditional organic and mineral fertilizers. 
Coffee grounds in the garden
Many gardeners water plants with a solution. To do this, it is diluted in water to a state convenient for watering. Then the plants are watered from a watering can, but then you will need to water them again with plain, clean water. This method of fertilization is effective because part of the nitrogen, slowly released, falls on the leaves, into the soil and nourishes the plant. 
Coffee grounds also serve as fertilizer and a pest protector in beds with carrots and radishes. If you want to reap a huge harvest of these root vegetables, then before planting, mix carrot and radish seeds with dry, spent coffee grounds, and then plant them in the garden bed. This method of planting carrots and radishes promotes fast and good root growth and will make the fruits larger.
A morning cup of coffee is not only a delicious drink that gives our body a boost of energy for the whole day. If you are into gardening, you can use coffee grounds as a mulching agent in your garden. To achieve the best results, it is more advisable to drink natural coffee, free of pesticides, especially if you fertilize fruits and vegetables. Coffee can increase populations of beneficial soil bacteria and lower the pH of acidic soils. To find out whether coffee grounds are useful as a fertilizer for plants and what are the ways to use them, read the article.
What are the benefits of coffee grounds?
As a drink, real coffee tastes divine, but has no nutritional value for humans. But the organic substances contained in it are an important source of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and copper for plants. Therefore, coffee grounds can be used as a fertilizer to improve the health of fruit and vegetable crops.
Placing coffee grounds in compost immediately before adding them to the soil will help normalize the alkaline balance, thereby stimulating plant growth.is a rich source of fatty acids, essential oils and other nutrients that enrich the soil. But a lot also depends on the type of soil. Therefore, this fertilization of nitrogen soils will be best for leafy vegetables, such as spinach, as well as for corn, tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots and radishes. Coffee grounds will also benefit flowers: azaleas, roses, camellias, ferns, lilies and rhododendrons. It should be placed at the bottom of the pot.
The caffeine contained in the beans is toxic to slugs and snails, but is beneficial to earthworms, which play a huge role in soil aeration and improved drainage. Coffee grounds are an indispensable tool in the fight against red ants. This is an excellent protection against rabbits, which are pests for broccoli, peas, beets and legumes. And if you sprinkle a flowerbed or beds with a mixture of orange peel and coffee grounds, then cats will stop trampling the garden plantings. This can also protect the animals themselves from potentially dangerous poisonous plants that they may consume.
How to prepare coffee grounds
To ensure that the fertilizer is ready for the planting season, the grounds begin to be collected in winter. To do this, the remains of drunk coffee are dried on paper. When all the moisture has evaporated, the dry product is placed in a jar and stored in a place protected from light. Instant coffee is not used to prepare coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds compost
Because of their rich nitrogen content, coffee grounds are suitable for adding to your compost pile. To create ideal compost, you need to use equal parts of coffee grounds, dry leaves and grass clippings, no more than 400 g of bone meal and a little black soil. This mixture with coffee beans may have antimicrobial activity that inhibits certain fungal diseases on vegetable crops such as cucumbers, beans and tomatoes.
To achieve a quick effect, compost should be diluted in purified water and sprayed directly at the plant’s base. Experts recommend diluting ready-made compost at the rate of half a part per 5 liters of water. The solution can be used to water the soil of indoor plants and vegetables.
It is advisable to use a metal container or other fence no more than 1 m in height and width to make compost based on coffee grounds. To help the decomposition process begin faster, holes are made in the compost. This activates the work of microorganisms. In the first week, it is necessary to moisten the compost, since the temperature of the heap will be at least 65 o C, and to loosen it for better air circulation. After a month, the compost will have cooled down, which means it’s time to add earthworms.
Fertilizer can be prepared in advance in the fall by covering the pile with dry spruce branches until spring. Remember not to use coffee grounds as mulch on their own because when they dry in the sun, they form a water-repellent crust that prevents moisture, air, and other nutrients from reaching the plant's roots.
How to Improve Soil Texture Using Coffee Grounds?
Many people ask the question of how to use coffee grounds as fertilizer to improve soil properties. When added to soil, it improves soil texture due to the organic matter it contains. Coffee grounds have normal acidity, so spent coffee grounds are beneficial for clay soils, which are usually alkaline and heavy.
A weak acidic reaction is possible, since the pH level also depends on the quality of the water, specifically on its alkaline composition. The question arises again: can coffee grounds be used as fertilizer for garden and indoor plants? Many potted flower plants grow well in acidic soil. This fertilizer will be useful for indoor and decorative foliage plants such as gladioli, azaleas, rhododendrons and lilies. As a fertilizer, coffee grounds can reduce the acidity of sandy soil and rid your garden of weeds.
You can always change the acidity by adding wood ash or dolomite to the soil. Remember, if you use coffee mulch on your own, the layers will thicken over time. And this, as you know, can become an obstacle to drainage and air circulation. To keep the soil loose longer, it is best to mix the coffee grounds base with other organic or inorganic substances that have a larger particle size.
Coffee grounds for indoor plants
Like seedlings, any indoor flowers need high-quality soil. It acquires its best properties thanks to properly selected fertilizer. A unique fertilizer is coffee grounds. It is more used as a fertilizer for indoor plants due to the content of useful substances in large quantities. It has a beneficial effect on their growth and promotes the rapid formation of inflorescences. Its use at home is acceptable for plants such as roses, azaleas, begonias and others.
Houseplants are known to need nutrient-rich soil to grow, but making or purchasing the necessary compost can be expensive and labor-intensive. However, processed coffee grounds additionally aerate the soil, fill it with nitrogen, and increase the population of earthworms in the compost, which remarkably loosen the soil, which is so necessary for better growth and aroma of plants.
Coffee grounds for tomatoes
Coffee grounds have a positive effect on vegetable crops. It is used as a fertilizer for tomatoes throughout the entire period of fruit ripening. To tone up tomatoes, fertilizing begins in the spring. Its regular use increases their fertility. Nitrogen-rich fertilizer helps the soil create natural strains of bacteria that are beneficial to plants.
With its weed-suppressing properties, coffee grounds should be used with caution by gardeners. Since along with them the roots of the plant can be damaged. Coffee grounds are a natural option for adding nutrient-rich organic matter to the soil, which is worth considering when growing vegetables for human consumption.
How to properly add coffee grounds to the soil?
We found out that coffee grounds as a fertilizer for plants are a storehouse of useful organic substances and minerals. But how to properly apply it to the soil? There are several ways, let's look at some of them.
- If radish or carrot seeds are mixed with coffee cake before planting, this will increase germination and give the vegetables a sweeter taste.
- To enrich the root system with minerals, dry cake is scattered in small quantities around the seedling. With each watering, the nitrogen content in the soil will increase.
- If coffee grounds are carefully dug into the soil no more than 4 cm deep, then when mixed with the top layer of soil, this will prevent it from drying out and forming a crust, and therefore provide the plant’s roots with a good flow of oxygen.
- Coffee grounds can be used as compost, which we talked about making earlier. This is a universal fertilizer for vegetable, fruit and berry plants. The compost is first mixed with the soil, and only then added to the hole.
Coffee grounds: application
Flowers that bloom from bulbs in the spring, such as tulips and daffodils, can get an extra dose of nitrogen and other nutrients from the coffee grounds. Rhododendrons, tomatoes and calendula like acidic soil and can benefit from sprinkling coffee grounds, which can increase the acid content, making the soil more suitable for plant growth. Fertilizer helps protect rhododendron bushes from root weevils.
Can coffee grounds as fertilizer change the color of a flower? For which plants is this possible? It is better to experiment with hydrangeas. Rose bushes grow in alkaline soil, and a little extra acidity from coffee grounds will produce blue flowers. Remember that it is not only the pH of the soil that controls the color of flowers, but also the ability of the plant to absorb aluminum salts from the soil, which is enhanced by the acidity of the soil.
Using coffee bean mulch improves the germination of sugar beet seeds and improves the growth of cabbage and soybeans. Vegetables such as spinach, cucumbers, and beans are susceptible to many rust and mold diseases, especially when they are at the seedling stage. Compost containing only 5% coffee grounds may provide a protective effect against these diseases.
What plants don't like coffee grounds?
Not all crops benefit from coffee grounds as fertilizer. For what plants is its use unacceptable? Do not use coffee compost on soils where alfalfa and clover grow. Plants such as Japanese mustard (komatsuna) and asparagus are extremely susceptible to fertilizer. Coffee grounds have a negative effect on the germination of many seeds and slow down the growth of plants. Therefore, you should not use it as a fertilizer for a houseplant - geranium.
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