It is often recommended to fertilize your roses by adding coffee grounds into the surrounding soil. Not only are coffee grounds cheap, but using them as fertilizer is a great way to reduce waste. However, despite that there are benefits to using coffee ground as a fertilizer for your roses, there are a few things to be aware of. 

Keep reading to find out how to fertilize your roses with coffee grounds. 

Use in moderation

If you choose to fertilize your roses with the coffee you may notice a range of benefits, but it is important to use it sparingly and in moderation. Adding too much coffee into the soil surrounding your roses can serve to burn their roots due to the high nitrogen content. 

However, there are benefits to using coffee grounds as a fertilizer, if you do so in moderation. This article will teach you how best to apply coffee as a fertilizer and what time of year you should apply it. It is usually best to avoid adding this type of fertilizer to the soil too late in the growing season as this can cause to stimulate growth which will be killed by frost. 

Benefits of using coffee grounds as a rose fertilizer

The main nutrient available in ground coffee is nitrogen. Nitrogen, as well as potash and phosphate, is one of the most important nutrients needed to achieve healthy roses. It is necessary during the growing season in significant amounts to help stimulate new stem, cane, and leaf growth. 

Coffee grounds off a good boost of nitrogen when it is applied in the spring or the start of the growing season. Nitrogen can help to make sure that your roses are healthy and resistant to diseases. 

Many rose growers love to add coffee grounds to their rose beds because of the high nitrogen content, they also offer a range of other nutrients such as copper, potassium, and phosphorus, which will all serve to improve the health of the soil and provide minerals to the roses. 

Soil drainage

Not only do coffee grounds offer a range of essential nutrients and minerals, but they also help to improve the drainage of your rose beds. Your roses will also benefit from the addition of organic materials such as leaf mulch or coffee grounds as they serve to improve the soil’s structure and also feed the soil’s ecology and creatures such as microbes and earthworms. These creatures help the organic matter to break down into an easily absorbed form. 

Organic materials can also absorb and retain water while letting it drain freely through the soil. This is the perfect combination for roses that require soil that is well-drained but can also hold moisture so that the roots draw necessary water. These materials ensure that the soil remains moist without the roots becoming saturated or rot. 

Coffee grounds are also loved by worms, which in turn improve the health of your roses. Worms serve to aerate soil that has become compact, improving its structure and drainage. Soil that benefits from a higher amount of worms can drain up to ten times faster than an area without worms.

Worms feed on the nutrients offered by the coffee grounds and create casts that concentrate these minerals and increasing the quality of the soil surrounding the roses. The casts left behind by the worms allow the roses’ roots to grow deeper giving the plant more stability, and access to nutrients and water. 

Compost 

Coffee grounds can also make a great addition to your compact bin as they compost quickly and can create valuable material to be used as mulch for your roses during the season of growth. 

Acidity

Roses tend to grow best in soil with an acidity rating of between pH 6 and 6.8, with a pH of 6.5 regarded as optimal growing conditions. Coffee grounds do vary in acidity depending on the bean variety, however, they are usually pH neutral or slightly acidic when they have been decomposed, which is the perfect fertilizer for roses. 

If you are unsure about the pH of your soil, purchase a soil pH tester online to ensure your roses have optimal growing conditions. 

When to apply coffee grounds

Coffee grounds offer nitrogen, which is the main nutrient needed by roses during the growing season. However, it is vital to avoid adding coffee grounds too late in the growing season as this will stimulate vulnerable growth that will likely be killed by frost. 

Wait until around May to apply coffee grounds to your rose beds, or until you can be sure there is no more risk of frost. 

To sum up

Coffee grounds can offer a range of benefits to ensure your roses are healthy and disease resistant. However, make sure to avoid adding coffee grounds to your roses when there is any risk of frost.