Illustration for article titled Should You Put Coffee Grounds On Your Plants?Photo: Nor Gal (Shutterstock)

If you are both a coffee lover and a plant parent, you may want to recycle your coffee grounds while also helping your garden or indoor plants grow. While coffee grounds can benefit your plants, it’s not always that easy to throw fresh soil on.

While brewed coffee is pretty acidic, used coffee grounds are pretty neutral, which means they’re unlikely to do much harm or good in terms of pH. However, the remaining caffeine remains in your coffee grounds could inhibit seed germination and growth. Also, pile floors on your plants can prevent air and water from properly circulating and penetrating the soil.

When used properly, coffee grounds can improve soil structure and deter pests (and plant-loving cats). What should be done instead?

Add soil to your compost or mulch

An indirect approach allows your plants to take advantage of your used coffee grounds without risking stunted growth. Mix the soil into your mulch or compost pile which can then be used to strengthen your soil. Make sure, however, that your entire compost bin is not made of coffee grounds.Treehugger recommends one part coffee to four parts other organic matter.

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Use directly in small quantities

If you don’t have homemade compost, you can sprinkle a small handful of soil on the ground and gently mix it into the first inch or two. Or you can make a “tea” for houseplants and potted plants, use 2 cups of soil to 5 gallons of water that has soaked overnight.

Add to your worm container

If you have an earthworm compost, coffee grounds are great food.

The conclusion with coffee grounds in the garden: less is more and indirect is more direct. Don’t throw the site on your plants every morning.