Coffee grinds; how much is too much ?

mrtom

I use coffee grinds which I stir & mix in a watering can for a few days before applying to plants.
Should this be a regular practice or is it to much for the soil / plants and what indicators should I look for ?

Lumen

mrtom wrote: »

I use coffee grinds which I stir & mix in a watering can for a few days before applying to plants.
Should this be a regular practice or is it to much for the soil / plants and what indicators should I look for ?

Stop when the triffids grow hipster beards and form an orderly queue at the back door. :pac:

I just throw them on.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They are best just added to the soil. The amount depends on the results. One expert advises

start small by adding 1 tablespoon of coffee grounds around each plant, lightly working it into the soil once a week. Observe how your plants react and add more each week until they stop showing signs of improvement.

mrtom

Ramona Nutty Jug wrote: »

They are best just added to the soil. The amount depends on the results. One expert advises

Research tells me :
Nutrient content? The kind of coffee grounds a typical homeowner would produce or obtain are around 1.5% Nitrogen. There's also a lot of Magnesium and Potassium, both of which plants really like; but not a lot of phosphorus (the "fruiting and flowering nutrient") or calcium, a mineral that many plants crave, and whose lack helps explain that recalcitrant acidity.So mix those coffee grounds in with some lime or wood ash. We can't recommend their raw use; the acidity could be high enough to damage even acid-loving plants.
So time to get some lime!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

mrtom wrote: »

Research tells me :
Nutrient content? The kind of coffee grounds a typical homeowner would produce or obtain are around 1.5% Nitrogen. There's also a lot of Magnesium and Potassium, both of which plants really like; but not a lot of phosphorus (the "fruiting and flowering nutrient") or calcium, a mineral that many plants crave, and whose lack helps explain that recalcitrant acidity.So mix those coffee grounds in with some lime or wood ash. We can't recommend their raw use; the acidity could be high enough to damage even acid-loving plants.
So time to get some lime!

Brewed coffee grounds have a pH of between 6.5 and 6.8. This is almost neutral. The acidity angle has been misinterpreted for years.

You can verify this with a simple soil test kit, if you have any concerns.

cobham

I thought they were to deter slugs etc?