The Best Fertilizer For Gorgeous Garden Roses Is Hiding In Your Kitchen

If your roses are looking a little lackluster, you might not need to visit the garden center to give them a boost. A common kitchen staple, used coffee grounds, can offer surprising benefits when used in your rose garden. Instead of tossing them in the trash, consider giving your morning brew a second life in the garden.

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They also contain micronutrients that are beneficial to the garden. When used properly, they feed beneficial microbes and earthworms, which improve soil structure. Additionally, incorporating organic materials like this helps the soil retain moisture, especially during the hot summer months.

If you're already composting, coffee grounds are one of the ingredients that make your compost rich and healthy. Their high nitrogen content balances out carbon-rich materials such as dry leaves and straw. Be sure to limit coffee grounds to 20% of your compost for best results. Over time, this makes for a rich, well-rounded compost that your roses will love even more. Composting coffee grounds will result in the best soil for growing your roses.

Before you dump your entire filter's worth of grounds at the base of your plants, it's important to know that moderation is key. Coffee grounds applied in a layer on their own can dry out quickly and create a crust that repels water, making it harder for water and air to reach the roots. Instead, apply a thin layer around the base of each plant, and work it lightly into the topsoil.  You can also cover the grounds with mulch to prevent them from drying into a crust that can block water flow. 

Another option is to make a simple "tea" by steeping used grounds in water overnight, then pouring the liquid around the base of your bushes. It is recommend that you use about 2 cups of grounds for 5 gallons of water. This provides a gentler nutrient boost and also works to repel slugs. Some slugs even die of caffeine poisoning after coming in contact with the grounds. In addition to pest control and soil boosting, used coffee grounds seem to suppress some common fungal rots and bacterial diseases, but they are not to be considered a cure-all, and proper rose care is still going to be critical to avoid any of these issues.

Roses often get a bad rap for being a difficult plant to grow, but using simple tips like adding coffee grounds can make a huge difference in your rose garden's success. When used wisely, coffee grounds are a sustainable, budget-friendly way to help your roses look their best and keep your kitchen waste out of the landfill.