Perc up your plants

Just stumbled upon this article on coffee as a soil amendment. Is coffee OK for good our plants?


Not all get a jolt

"Not all plants get a jolt from coffee
grounds. Seed germination of alfalfa
(Medicago sativa) and white and red
clovers (Trifolium repens and T. pratense)
was inhibited by water leached through
coffee grounds. Growth of crops such
as Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea),
komatsuna (Brassica campestris) and
Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum)
were all inhibited by coffee grounds, as
was that of ornamentals including inch
plant (Tradescantia albiflora), geranium,
and asparagus fern. One investigator
speculated that toxic substances released
from decomposing coffee grounds were
responsible for their inhibitory effect.
This effect also reduces weeds, and
perhaps in a landscape dominated by large
shrubs and trees, only germinating seeds
and seedlings would be injured. But as
there has been no experimental research
on coffee grounds and woody plants, this
is only speculation on my part."


Link to article:http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda chalker-scott/Horticultural Myths_files/index.html

it add nitrogen so yeah its ok

If your going to do it make sure and use USED coffee grounds. your not trying to make coffeeloup or anything like that and the grounds go acidic.
Honestly I dont think its worth it and possible asking for issues.
In a worm bin however use away!

randomseed said:

If your going to do it make sure and use USED coffee grounds. your not trying to make coffeeloup or anything like that and the grounds go acidic.
Honestly I dont think its worth it and possible asking for issues.
In a worm bin however use away!

Click to expand...

That's exactly right. I used it as a top dressing one time. Didn't see a problem, but after reading this article I won't be doing it again.

Outdoors coffee has many benefits. It keeps slugs and snails away for example. I'm not sure if slugs bother MJ, but it does keep them away. I've been feeding my worms coffee grounds to get the N in the worm castings that way.

My brother has always thrown his coffee grounds on the ground where grass is not growing... It seems to help new growth ALOT....