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leslie_c

using coffee grounds on plants

leslie_c
16 years ago

Has anyone tried using coffee grounds on their tomato plants? I tried last year and it seemed to work. I heard you should try it after the first tomato shows, anyone have any ideas? Here's a link to one site that talks about it.

Here is a link that might be useful: using coffee grounds

Comments (16)

  • sprtsguy76
    16 years ago

    I just picked up 2 10 lbs bags of used grounds from starbucks and I think I'm going to put them in my compost pile. I might even sprinkle some on top of my mulch. Its seems to be loaded with nitrogen so I will be careful.

  • zucchini
    16 years ago

    Have not done it in a couple of years. I used to take garbage bags full from Starbucks..dumped it right into the soil..I think it is good.
    Martha/zucchini

  • sunsi
    16 years ago

    I have always dumped the grounds around my pine trees and roses but will consider using them on tomatoes now thanks :)

  • qaguy
    16 years ago

    No problem using them on tomatoes or anything else for that matter.
    They add organic matter to the soil (the filters will break down too,
    so throw them in) and attract earthworms! An added bonus.

    Been using them for years and the garden is doing great. Can't
    attribute all of that to the coffee grounds because I've added
    other amendments as well. But I sure it helped.

  • doof
    16 years ago

    Just an observation...

    We go through a LOT of coffee in this household. Last year, I got into the habit of dumping my coffee grounds in different parts of the garden. I don't have a compost heap, so I just dumped them.

    One of the places that I regularly dumped grounds, a spot in my raspberry patch, was totally bare of plant life this year, (not even WEEDS) exactly in the place where I did the most dumping.

    Could be a coincidence. I don't know. But I'm trying to spread them out more, just in case.

  • maupin
    16 years ago

    I compost the filters and use the grounds as a tip dressing. Otherwise the filters dry out and blow away. Don't top dress too heavy or the grounds will repel water otherwise headed for your root zone. Light application or scratch it in.

  • orangetj
    16 years ago

    try tobacco leaves. youll have livley tomacco's in no time

  • rdubow
    16 years ago

    I use coffee grounds...just the 1/2 cup I ground about 3-4 days a week in my tomatoes and my "mini" rose plants! THEY LOVE THEM! I am a zone 4 and I have 4' plants with HUGE green fruits all over them and even my mini roses have like 6-10 blooms per plant! I just scoop a table spoon or so around the base of each one (sometimes doing every other one, sometimes just random ones) and then when I water (like 1-2 times per week) it gets watered into the soil! I recommend coffee grounds to all tomato people I know...but like anything....moderation! 10 pounds is a ton of grounds! I recommend like a tablespoon or two a week per plant and that's all!

    Bec

  • jayteadesigns
    16 years ago

    Used coffee grounds are great for vermicomposting. The worms love them!
    JT

  • miesenbacher
    16 years ago

    If you want to give your coffee grounds a kick check out the link below. It's a blend of natural nutrients with mycorrhizae fungi. You get the concentrate and mix with 5lbs of coffee grounds and use as directed.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Gardengrounds

  • cyumickey
    16 years ago

    ah...I've been wondering about this as well...can I just start mixing it into my soil before I plant my seedlings? What about eggshells? Coffee and eggshells?

  • herbivore
    16 years ago

    What about eggshells? Coffee and eggshells?

    I have a coffee can that is slowly filling up with my used (and dried) coffee grounds and cleaned, crushed eggshells. We are house-hunting; I can't wait to finally get a garden and use my Magic Coffee Can ingredients! :D

    I've heard that one of the best things you can do for tomato plants is put about 6-8 cups of crushed eggshells in the planting hole before adding the plant. I did it last year and my tomatoes turned out really well. Eggshells provide calcium that is good for the plants and prevents blossom end rot.

    Also, it saves those nutrients from sitting in a plastic trash bag in a landfill for thousands of years!

  • kerry67
    13 years ago

    In using coffee grounds for tomato plants, how often should, or can, this be done?

  • hotroxy51_yahoo_com
    12 years ago

    Thank you all I'll try them in my tomatos and roses also in my garden.I'll let you know! @

  • PRO
    Terra Vista Landscaping, LLC
    8 years ago
    1. Given the right environment, the worms will go to work to digest the kitchen scraps and bedding faster than any other compost method. The material will pass through the worms' bodies and become "castings." In about 3-4 months, the worms will have digested nearly all the garbage and bedding and the bin will be filled with a rich, black natural fertilizer and soil amendment. Compared to ordinary soil, the worm castings contain five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus and 11 times more potassium. They are rich in humic acids and improve the structure of the soil. The kitchen waste fed to worms can come from a variety of sources, including all vegetable and fruit waste (don't be surprised that some seeds may germinate and potato peels with eyes sprout), pasta leftovers, coffee grounds (with filter) and tea bags. Worms have a gizzard like chickens so fine grit should be added to help the worms digest food. This gritty material includes cornmeal, coffee grounds and/or finely crushed egg shells (dry the shells and then crush). Avoid large amounts of fat, meat scraps or bone. Some sources feel that a small amount of meat and eggs will provide protein to the worms, but be careful you don't overdo it and know that you may attract rodents. Blossom end rot is a serious problem when growing tomatoes, peppers and eggplants and can decimate entire crops. Often caused by a lack of calcium, this condition results in dark, rotted sores on vegetables. A layer of crushed eggshells, placed in the planting hole for these vegetables, is a simple means of combating the disease. As they decompose, the eggshells naturally enrich the soil, providing a slow, steady source of calcium. Calcium, which is found in eggshells, is vital to all forms of plant life and is a "crucial regulator of growth and development," according to the American Society of Plant Biologists. For an extra boost of this nutrient, place a powder made from finely crushed eggshells into a watering can and fill it up with a large bottle of hydrogen peroxide and the rest water. After letting it sit and absorb for several days, use the substance to water plants, such as vegetables and shrubs, and it will act as a natural fertilizer.