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Coffee grounds are excellent sources of nitrogen. They also contain other key nutrients like phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium—making them an inexpensive boon to nutrient-depleted soil. To make your own fertilizer, mix the coffee grounds with other organic matter, such as dead grass clippings, brown leaves, compost, or dry straw to mitigate the grounds’ tendency to lock together and form a barrier to water penetration.
According to the Lisa Ogden at the University of Wyoming, “Plants that respond well to coffee grounds include blueberries, cabbage, soybeans, fruit trees, tomatoes, corn, roses, camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas.” Just be careful about spreading them too liberally around seeds and seedlings, as the residual caffeine content may be detrimental to growth.
