Last week, as I sipped my coffee and gazed at my rose plants, I wondered, “Coffee vitalizes me, but what effect do they have on Roses?”
I got my research boots on and started googling about it. I was delighted to find out that coffee grounds are beneficial for roses.
Generally, coffee grounds are good for roses because they give the plant nutrition, maintain soil acidity, and attract beneficial worms for the plant’s growth. However, coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, which can burn your plants if used incorrectly.
That was all I needed to know; I rushed to a nearby coffee shop and made a deal with them to provide me with an unlimited supply of coffee grounds for my garden.
You can do the same and get your Roses smiling.
Please continue reading to learn more about its benefits and when and how to use coffee grounds for your beautiful Roses.
Table of Contents Show
Are Coffee Grounds Good For Roses?
Coffee grounds are the bi-product left behind after processing coffee beans. So, you might wonder how they can be useful for your Roses.
This brown powder benefits the soil and the plant and helps them achieve better growth.
Coffee grounds make excellent organic fertilizers for Roses as they enhance soil quality and promote plant growth.
Just like how you can use eggshells to increase the calcium content and banana peels to increase the potassium content in the soil, you can use coffee grounds to increase the nitrogen in the soil.
Coffee grounds have the following nutrients packed in them. Let us have a look at them.
| Nutrients | Amount (in percentage) |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 2 |
| Phosphorus | 0.06 |
| Potassium | 0.6 |
It also contains other micronutrients like copper, zinc, iron, magnesium, etc.
Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds for Roses
Let us look at the coffee ground’s benefits to the Rose and the soil below.
- Adding coffee grounds to the soil will improve the soil quality and will greatly enrich the soil.
- Roses prefer acidic soil, and adding coffee grounds to the soil changes its nature from neutral to acidic (6 to 6.5).
- Coffee grounds fulfill the nutrient requirements of Roses by adding nitrogen to the soil.
- Coffee grounds increase mineral availability in soil by 35%, improving soil structure and increasing potassium, magnesium, copper, and phosphorus availability.
- Adding coffee grounds to the plant can boost beneficial worms, increasing soil aeration, retention, and draining capacity.
- Coffee grounds also help to balance soil temperature.
- They are also very effective in repelling pests and insects and controlling weeds.
- Adding coffee grounds also suppress fungal diseases such as Fusarium, Pythium, and Sclerotinia rot.
- Coffee grounds also help the plant to be drought-resistance.
But as every coin has heads and tails, using coffee grounds for Roses also has drawbacks.
Drawbacks of Using Coffee Grounds for Roses
- Coffee grounds contain caffeine that can hamper germination by hindering the growth and development of seedlings.
- If you let your dogs loose around your house, coffee grounds can be toxic to them if inhaled in a large amount.
- Coffee has antibacterial properties that may kill the good bacteria and earthworms in the soil.
- Caffeine can hinder the growth and root development of your plants.
- Coffee grounds can form a barrier on top of the soil, which can hamper the water intake property of the plant.
- Using too much coffee ground can burn the roots of your plant.
It is up to you to decide whether you will use coffee grounds for your Roses or not.
I used it, and to be honest, I am pretty impressed with the results.
Note: Avoid using fresh coffee grounds directly to plant roots because they are more likely to be phytotoxic.
How Often Should you Put Coffee Grounds on Roses?
If you have already weighed your opinions and decided that coffee grounds are good for Roses, welcome to this section.
Now you may wonder how often you should put coffee grounds on Roses.
Generally, it would be best to put coffee grounds on your Rose once a year, at the beginning of the spring season, when the Rose will be fresh and can counter any damage.
Additionally, applying coffee grounds too early or too late can make the new leaf growth susceptible to frost or drought.
First of all, you need to get your hands on coffee grounds. You can get them in restaurants, gas stations, and major coffee shops.
Starbucks started a venture in 1995 in which they provide free coffee grounds to gardeners to reduce waste products.
Let’s look at when and how you should use coffee grounds on Roses.
| Nature of Application | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Coffee grounds with other compost kitchen wastes | Once or several times in a year |
| Directly on the rose | Once a season during spring |
| As liquid fertilizer (One or half pound of coffee grounds in 5 gallons of water) | Once or twice a month |
| Coffee grounds with Ash (3:1) | Once every one or two weeks |
How do you Use Coffee Grounds on Roses?
After you finally have coffee grounds, you should know how to apply them to your Rose plant.
I have experimented with the amount of coffee grounds in my Roses, and trust me; you would not want to apply too much of it to your plant.
Coffee grounds boost the nitrogen in the soil; however, using too much coffee grounds can cause root burn and plant drooping.
You must follow proper instructions to use coffee grounds on Roses carefully.
There are certain ways to apply coffee grounds to your plants. Let us look at some methods below.
1. Ground Directly to the Soil
- Take 500 grams of coffee ground and sprinkle it around the Rose plant’s soil.
- You do not need to dig up the soil around the plant for this process.
- Soak the plant using a watering can that supports about 2 gallons of water.
- Let the water settle and resume your normal caring process.
In the above method, the coffee grounds work like a slow fertilizer. The worms will slowly pull the coffee grounds into the soil.
After they digest the coffee grounds, they set worm castings on the soil, which is a good nutrient source for the Rose plant.
2. Mix Coffee Grounds with Water
You can create a solution of water and coffee grounds and use it as a slow-release fertilizer.
- To prepare the solution, take two cups of coffee grounds and put them in a watering can that can support 2 gallons of water.
- Fill the watering can with water and mix the solution thoroughly.
- Water the plant and let the soil soak the water efficiently.
While going for the method above, you must ensure to mix half a pound of coffee grounds with two gallons of water.
If you overdo it, your Rose plant may suffer due to excessive nitrogen in the soil.
3. Add Grounds to Compost
- Prepare a compost heap composed of kitchen wastes, leaves, and other household wastes.
- Add 1/3 part of the coffee grounds to the pile and mix it thoroughly using a garden rake.
- To get effective results, you can moisten the grounds before adding them to the heap.
- Add carbon sources like dry leaves or paper to provide energy to the microorganisms to break down the organic matter.
- Apply 1 to 2 inches of compost around the base of your Rose plants and resume normal care.
Organic fertilizers and garden composts are always good for the plant as they do not have many side effects.
But, it would be best if you always were considerate about the amount of coffee grounds you use in fertilizers, as too much nitrogen can hurt your plants.
FAQS About Using Coffee Grounds For Roses
Do Coffee Grounds Repel Ants?
Rose plant attracts different pests; among them, the most deadly ones are Aphids.
In addition to harming the plant, they are deadly because they secrete honeydew, which attracts ants.
But we have a piece of good news: coffee grounds repels ants. The worker ants get confused by the smell of coffee and lose their trail.
Just sprinkle some coffee grounds around the soil to keep ants at bay.
Do Coffee Grounds Encourage Roses to Bloom More?
Coffee grounds not only boost your plant’s growth but also have other added benefits.
Although coffee grounds are brimmed with nitrogen, they have a certain amount of phosphorus, which is pivotal in making the plant bloom.
So, you can utilize the used coffee grounds and get beautiful Roses in your garden.
Conclusion
If you are a coffee enthusiast who enjoys brewing your own coffee, you can get some coffee grounds at home.
People have been following this method for a long time and are quite successful in their gardens.
You can be among them too! Follow the methods and tips outlined above and leave a comment about your experience below.
Good luck!
You may be interested to read more about growing Rose from Cut Flowers and their leaves turning yellow.
