Are Coffee Grounds Good for Roses? – Know the Truth by Professionals

If you are someone who likes to brew your coffee in the morning and also have a rose garden, then there is some good news for you. Coffee grounds are actually good for roses. Every gardener wants their plants to get all the essential nutrients. These nutrients help in proper growth and development of plants. We all know that we need to add fertilizer or compost to the soil for enriching the nutrient content of the soil.

Are Coffee Grounds Good for Roses?

There are a lot of people who oppose this idea as they consider coffee grounds acidic. Some people think that it can make the soil more acidic. But this is not true in the case of used coffee grounds. The acidity of the coffee grounds decreases when you wash the coffee grounds. Fresh coffee grounds are acidic while the used ones are neutral. Such coffee grounds are suitable for helping the rose bushes with growth. Instead of throwing away the coffee grounds in a bin, it can be useful as compost or in mulch for your garden. These coffee grounds are beneficial as it helps in adding the organic nutrients to the soil.

How are coffee grounds useful for roses

Coffee grounds work excellent as compost for rose plants.  Coffee grounds add the right amount of nitrogen to the soil which is beneficial for roses. There is a particular way to add coffee grounds that are beneficial to rose plants. As the coffee is high in nitrogen, overloading the soil with it can burn or kill the plants. The characteristics of coffee that make it useful for roses are:

• The coffee grounds are neutral to acidic in pH.
• It also helps in getting rid of some garden pests such as bugs and slugs.
• As it has nitrogen, it helps to loosen the soil.
• It also attracts the worms to aerate the soil.
• It helps in making the soil light around it.

What is the right way to use coffee grounds with roses?

The most efficient way to give the benefits of coffee grounds to the rose plant is to mix it with water. You can mix the used coffee grounds with water to the rose bushes. This way the coffee grounds will scatter in the soil properly and prevent any burn. You can also rub the coffee grounds on the rose bushes and then scatter it in the soil. Apart from it, you can also add the coffee grounds directly to the soil but make sure you spread it evenly.

Many people like adding the dry coffee grounds directly to the soil as fertilizer or even as compost. If you are adding the coffee grounds, remember that it is the green compost and it will need brown compost with it. Some people also add it in their mulch for the plants. Now the big obstacle is the process to dry the coffee grounds. It is little tricky and takes some time to dry the coffee grounds. If you are wondering how to do it, then don’t worry I am going to mention the procedures to dry the coffee grounds.

How to dry coffee grounds for fertilizer?

Method: 1

For this method to dry the coffee grounds, you will need a baking tray, newspapers and coffee grounds. Make sure that the grounds are fresh and do not have molds. In case you notice that the grounds have turned blue or green due to molds, do not use them.

• Once you have collected fresh coffee grounds, take your baking tray and place some newspapers in it. Make a thick layer of five to six newspapers in the tray.

• Now transfer the fresh coffee grounds in the newspaper. For this method make sure the thickness of the grounds is not more than 2-3 inches.
• After you are done placing the coffee grounds in the baking tray, place this tray in your garden. You can also put it in a place where it gets adequate sunlight.

• Let the tray be in the environment where there is wind and enough sunlight so that the coffee grounds dry faster.

• Rotate the tray once in a day so that all the coffee grounds dry in the tray. Keep the tray for some days till the coffee grounds dry entirely.
• If you live in a country where it frequently rains, then make sure to takes the tray indoors in the evening.
• You can also place the tray indoors where there is enough sunlight in the room.

Method: 2

• Apart from this method, you can also dry the grounds using a microwave or oven. Place the coffee grounds on a baking sheet in the baking tray. Keep this tray in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

• Make sure you evenly spread the grounds and keep checking it after 10 minutes. It mostly takes up to 30 minutes to dry the coffee grounds completely.

• You can also use a hair dryer to dry the grounds faster if you want to dry it quickly.
• Once the coffee grounds are dried, store them in an airtight container. Make sure that there is no moisture in the bottle. Also, I would suggest you make small batches of dried coffee grounds.

• Keep a check on it by slipping a spoon or a piece of paper to see if they are still dry.

So finally now you know everything regarding the coffee grounds. I hope it helps you to make a fertilizer or use it to boost growth for your rose plants.