Coffee grounds increase acidity and nutrients in the soil. Coffee grounds are quite fine, and as … Coffee Grounds are organic, and will slowly decompose in the garden–sounds like a good mulch. The Truth About Coffee Grounds in Your Garden. You could make “tea” from the coffee grounds to add to the garden. By volume they are about 2% nitrogen and they are noted as a good source of nitrogen for composting, given that they have the same basic carbon to nitrogen ratio as manure (20:1). To actively compost, most experts recommend about one part green material to two to three parts brown, like leaves. This may not be scientific but many years of experience using coffee grounds tell me they are good to use in the garden or around acid loving plants.I read about it in the Organic Gardening magazine 30 -40 years ago & tried it on azalias & was amazed at the growth .I will continue using them as long as I … Be aware that stronger coffee can be more acidic. Add 2 cups of coffee grounds to a 5 gallon bucket of water and allow it to steep overnight. The coffee grounds have a 20 to 1 ratio of nitrogen to carbon, which makes them ideal for helping grow plants such as tomatoes. … Coffee grounds are still an excellent addition to your gardening routines. Using coffee grounds in a vegetable garden can help to power your plants like never before. Your acid-loving plants like hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, lily of the valley, blueberries, carrots, and radishes can get a boost from fresh grounds. In The Compost Pile. All of these nutrients are important to plants. And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers. This is not good for your plants or the other soil biota. Anything that compacts will reduce the amount of water/rain and air reaching the soil. While used coffee grounds are only slightly acidic, fresh (unbrewed) coffee grounds have more acid. When we first started doing this show, we warned people to only spread coffee grounds around acid-loving plants, like azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries, because the grounds were bound to be acidic; and not to overdo it on those and other flowering plants, as the grounds were certainly high in Nitrogen, which makes plants grow big, but can inhibit the numbers of flowers and fruits. Unlike slugs, earthworms love coffee grounds. Using grounds in garden soil or in worm composting bins not only helps enrich the soil, worm productivity skyrockets, aerating soil and improving drainage. Coffee grounds in the vegetable garden to add nutrients to the soil In addition to composting coffee grounds, I’ve often tossed used coffee grounds in the vegetable garden around the plants. However, tomatoes do not like fresh coffee grounds; keep them out of that area of the garden. So What Makes Coffee Grounds So Great? How to Use Coffee Grounds in Your Garden from coffee grounds in the vegetable garden To add spice to a dull garden, try using climbing plants. 3. In other cases, grounds inhibit seed germination of clovers (red and white) and alfalfa. 2. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.