Soil & Fertilizer: Used coffee grounds as manure?

We get quite a quantity of coffee powder remains/leftovers. The decoction is filtered and drunk as a popular beverage. Is this leftover powder different from what I see under 'coffee grounds'? Or is that something else? What can its use be in my garden? I use tea leaves (leftovers) also in my garden.

I would think it would be similar, Dinu. I've put coffee grounds around my roses and they've loved it.

Dinu,

Coffee, in your part of the world, is usually made with a finer grind then here, which is why the remains are more powder-like. But it's the same thing.

Coffee grounds tend to be acidic, so you want to be careful where you apply it directly. For that reason, I just put all ours in the compost pile, where its acidic effect is minimal.

Can I use a little bit for my hydrangea plant which is in a pot?

Dinu, I would think you could. A lot of people say they use the grounds straight as a mulch; others pour cold leftover coffee on their houseplants. I - like Brook - toss mine in the compost pile, but I would think you could apply some around a hydrangea - it might eventually affect the flower color :)

Thank you pals, I'll see that from now on, I will drink coffee and share the powder with my plants.

Is it true that coffee grounds would adversely affect a tomato bed? Here in Georgia, we put lime in the soil, which reduces the acidity in the soil. Has anyone tried coffee grounds to mulch and fertilize tomatoes or can anyone refer me to a source for info? Our local Starbucks gives away bags in Quantity mand I already use them around my gardenias. Linda

They say for Hydrangeas that acidic soil produces blue flowers, alkaline soil produces pink flowers.

Azaleas also love coffee and tea as do most ferns, fuschia, bleeding hearts and primroses. And my dwarf roses thrive on it and bloom their little hearts out. The earth worms seem happy with it as well since I find many more of them in areas where I mulch with it than in areas I don't

I put coffee grounds around roses, hydrangeas,& gardenias.
Gardenias also love pickle juice! I crush eggshells into gallon jugs of water, let set 24 hours, then pour around my roses. Thay love it!

Rhodedendrums (not sure of spelling there) love coffee grounds as well.

Y'all are correct! I use coffee grounds on ALL my acid loving plants (Rhodos, Azaleas, Ferns, Hydrangeas, etc.) and they reward me with beautiful blooms!

I piled them all over the garden this summer and in the composter. I put the filters in the composter too.

I'm starting my compost now and throw them coffee grounds in too. What a smell we got when we dumped it. This was my first time creating this and looks like it will be very helpful as far as adding nutrients in the ground! I throw banana peels egg shells, potatoe peels, peels from carrots just about everything you would think of putting thru a garbage disposal, lol! Denise

I've put my coffee grounds around my hydrangea for years; I just save them up for a couple of weeks then plop them directly on the surface around the plant. Once in a while I scratch them in a little.

I get the most vivid, neon-blue blooms! They positively glow in the shade.

Has anyone ever heard of coffee grounds arounds hostas for the slugs? Thanks for any input, new to this website and kind of testing the waters.

Oh, lemme guess: a 'Charlotte's Web' fan (me, too!) - welcome! I don't know if the grounds will deter slugs, but a lot of people do use them "straight" rather than composted ;o)

I have applied used coffee grounds to the base of my 30 roses and worked it into the ground with my fingers and there are the most beautiful large collerful blooms that all of my friends are envious of. Another thing to do is make your own protien foam. I am a firefighter and we used to use this nasty concoction made of fish guts and meat and vegtable products to use in firefighting. We don't use it anymore in the fire circus but when we did we used to get rid of the left overs by spraying it on our lawns and on our flowerering plants around the station. I now make my own once a month and apply it to our roses at home and god does it work as a fertilizer. Now keep in mind that this stuff that you mix in your blender will smell horrible but when applied to your plants you won't be disappointed.

I use coffee grounds at the base of my Calla lillies, and my strawberry plant. Callas LOVE the extra boost, and I have been known to pour leftover coffee on my plants. Too funny. They don't seem to mind.

As for the tomato, I have been putting the grounds around the base. I haven't seen any ill effects, but this is my first season adding coffee grounds to the soil.

VERY INTRESTING HOW MANY DIFFERENT PLANTS BENEFIT FROM THE USE OF COFFEE GROUNDS...WE HAVE USED THEM AROUND LILIES WITH THE BANANA PEELS AND THEY REALLY SHOW THEIR STUFF...

To: Shirley1md
Ellicott City, MD
Zone 7a
Jan 19, 2004
2:25 PM

~~Y'all are correct! I use coffee grounds on ALL my acid loving plants (Rhodos, Azaleas, Ferns, Hydrangeas, etc.) and they reward me with beautiful blooms!~~

Thanks, now I remember why it is good for plants!
having ...... "Senior Moments" : p

Just something I caught the other day growing (down nearby the back steps) to the yard! A wild mushroom with a slug~UGH! It had a sibling for company too.

I realize this is an old thread, but I wanted to share my coffee grounds usage with others. I have lots of wood deckings around my buildings and the winters make them very slick and dangerous for man and beast. The best solution I have discovered.... spreading used coffee grounds on the slippery wood. They don't damage the wood and hold fast onto any ice increasing traction. Plus, when used on my sloping icy paths, they prevent falling and do not hurt the surrounding plants like deicer does. Coffee grounds do not irritate dog/cats' paws and are not easily tracked into the house. Hope this idea may help others too.

That is a great idea, OniOni! I don't need so much for the plants, so I can save them for the winter. We feed the birds and I was always afraid the ice melt stuff would be harmful to them, if they tried eating some.