What Plants Like Coffee Grounds and Eggshells? How To Use Them

Coffee grounds and eggshells are two household items that you can use to boost your plant’s health. Coffee Grounds and Eggshells both provide different nutrients to the soil which can be very beneficial for the plants and they won’t cost much either.

Coffee grounds provide nutrients that plants need, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Eggshells contain calcium, which is beneficial for plant growth. Using coffee grounds and eggshells can help your plants grow healthier and stronger. But not all plants like them.

Here in this post, we will tell you what plants like coffee grounds and eggshells and plants that hate them.

Organic fertilizers are definitely the best fertilizer for your plants. They promote healthy growth, prevent fungus, and even help keep your roots hydrated. 

Coffee grounds and eggshells are super cheap but they’re one of the best fertilizers you can use. Learning more about using coffee grounds and eggshells will help you grow your plants easily.

The Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds As Fertilizers:

There are a few reasons why plants love coffee grounds and you can definitely use coffee grounds for plants as fertilizers.

Coffee grounds as a fertilizer adds organic material to the soil. These organic materials improve drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil. 

And this is true for used coffee grounds also. It also helps beneficial microorganisms to thrive. Coffee grounds also attract earthworms.

Coffee grounds with the right amount of nitrogen are great for most flowers and vegetables.

Fresh coffee grounds are slightly acidic. So if you add this to your ground it will also increase the soil acidity. A little bit of acidic soil is usually good for plants as they can easily absorb nutrients.

Used coffee grounds on the other hand are neutral. So washing the coffee ground before adding them to the soil will not impact the soil pH.

You can also use coffee grounds as mulch.

What Plants Like Coffee Grounds:

Here is a list of plants that like coffee grounds

• Elephant Ears
• Hibiscus
• Marigold
• Sedge
• Forget-Me-Not
• Hydrangeas
• Lily 
• Fern 
• Rose
• Strawberries 
• Blueberries 
• Tomato 
• Carrot 
• Radish, etc.

What Plants Don’t Like Coffee Grounds:

But not all plants like coffee grounds. Adding coffee grounds to these plants can’t make them thrive, rather can kill them.

Most plants that grow indoors don’t like coffee grounds. This is because moist coffee grounds often lead to fungal growth that can kill the plant.

Here is a list of plants that don’t like coffee grounds, you should never add coffee grounds to them.

• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Orchids
• Snake plant
• Succulents and cactus
• Pothos
• Spider plant

How to Use Coffee Grounds To Fertilize Your Plants:

There are two ways you can use coffee grounds in the garden. The composting method and the sprinkle method. Both methods add nutrients that help plants grow better while improving drainage, water retention, and aeration in the soil.

Composting Coffee Grounds:

Composting your coffee grounds is probably the best way to use them in the garden. When we discussed composting we spoke about the carbon and nitrogen ratio. 

Coffee grounds add a lot of nitrogen to your compost pile. So whenever you use coffee grounds don’t forget to add grass clippings, dry leaves, newspapers, etc that have a lot of carbon in them. For example add four parts of shredded leaves to one part of coffee grounds to make a proper C:N ratio. 

Sprinkling Coffee Grounds:

If you do not want to do composting, you can also sprinkle coffee grounds directly on the soil. Simply, mix one part of the coffee grounds with five parts of soil for your plants.

Eggshells For Plants:

Eggshells are a common household item that can be used for many different purposes, including helping plants grow. Eggshells are good for plants because they contain calcium, which is essential for plant growth.

Benefits of Using Eggshells As A Fertilizer:

Calcium is a very important and crucial nutrient for plants. Eggshells are full of calcium. So, it gives an extra boost of calcium to plants.

Eggshells also give natural protection to plants from slugs as well. 

Many plants are prone to damage by snails and slugs. Adding crushed eggshells as a barrier prevents slugs and snails from attacking the plants.

Plants That Like Eggshells:

The main reason why we add eggshells to soil is that they have a lot of calcium in them. So plants that need a lot of calcium to thrive will be the plants that will like eggshells the most. Here is a list of plants that like eggshells in their soil:

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Marigolds
• Spinach 
• Swiss Chard 
• Strawberries, etc

How To Use Eggshells To Fertilize Your Plants:

The best way to use eggshells for plants in your garden is to make a powder. Grind your eggshells into a fine powder with a grinder or mortar and pestle. 

Make sure you mix them in the soil before the growing season starts. This way, you ensure that the nutrients mix with the soil a lot easier, and the plants can absorb the nutrients easily.

Alternatively, you can crush the eggshells by hand and add them on top of the soil. This will act as a pest repellent. It will protect your plants from snails and slugs. 

Eggs are known carriers of salmonella. So, always rinse the eggs well and let them dry on a sunny windowsill before using them. Dryness usually kills any salmonella present in the eggs.

Conclusion:

Adding coffee grounds and eggshells to your plants is a great way to give them extra nutrients. Coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, which is an important nutrient for plants. Eggshells are a good source of calcium, which helps plants grow strong roots and prevents blossom end rot.

You can add coffee grounds and eggshells to your plants by mixing them into the soil, or you can make a compost bin and add them to that.

What’s your experience? Have you ever used coffee grounds and eggshells in your garden?

Now that you know what plants like coffee grounds and eggshells, try adding these to your favorite plants. I am sure you will love the results.

I hope this post was helpful to you and you have learned something new today. Feel free to share the information with others too.

Happy Gardening.