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How do I add coffee grounds to my plants?
One gardener's concern: will coffee grounds acidify my soil too much? Our soil is alkaline, so you can add coffee grounds to the soil. Native plants can tolerate this extra acidity because it's not much, but don't overdo. Don't add coffee grounds every day to beds where you're growing native plants.
If you have Southeastern plants, that are not native to our area, they really do benefit from a little bit of extra acidity. This includes hydrangeas, azaleas, and magnolias. You can also include them around your roses and fruit trees and other plants.
What you need to do is put your coffee grounds on the soil and scratch them in a little bit with a hand spade. You don't have to bury them or dig them into the soil if you have established plants.
If you've noticed symptoms on acid-loving plants that indicate a lack of iron, you'll need to add a fertilizer designed for acidic-soil plants. Then you can start with your coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds are about 2 percent nitrogen, so scratching them in around can benefit. Just don't overdo on native plants. Another great way to use them is to add them to your compost pile.
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