Are Coffee Grounds Good for Roses? When to Use and How Much

As a dedicated rose growing site, and as a coffee lover myself, I simply had to weigh in on the debate regarding the question are coffee grounds good for roses.

Like me, you may have tried all manner of products and organic materials on your roses, and I’ve done and written posts on just about everything you can add to roses.

So are coffee grounds good for roses? Do roses like coffee grounds? Here’s the short takeaway answer.

Coffee grounds are good for roses in Spring. They provide a source of nitrogen, which is an essential plant nutrient and can improve drainage and aeration in the soil. However, too much coffee ground can make the soil too acidic for roses (or any other plants), so don’t add too much.

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But as usual, there is still the question of how and when coffee grounds should be used, and which coffee grounds for that matter. I’m going to tackle all those answers and more below – starting with the pros and cons!

Are coffee grounds good for roses – Pros and Cons

Some gardeners say that coffee grounds are good for roses, while others believe that the acidity in coffee grounds can be detrimental to roses.

It’s really up to the individual gardener. Ultimately, it is up to you to experiment. And if you’re a coffee drinker who regularly has coffee grounds available, then it’s worth a try.

However, used coffee grounds can offer both benefits and drawbacks when it comes to growing roses.

Benefits of coffee grounds for roses

• Coffee grounds can help improve drainage in rose beds and make the soil more aerated.
• They can also help to increase the acidity of the soil if it is too alkaline. Roses thrive at pH 6.5 to 6.8. Coffee grounds can be used to rebalance the pH of soil.
• In addition, coffee grounds also provide essential nutrients and minerals that roses need, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and copper.

Drawbacks of coffee grounds for roses

• Nitrogen can boost growth, but too much nitrogen can actually lead to problems such as stunted growth, yellow leaves, and weak stems.
• In addition, coffee grounds can attract animals and pests such as rodents and slugs, which can damage your roses.

For me, it’s all about balance and using the right amount of coffee grounds, it at the right times, in the right delivery method. I’ll explain more below.

Top Tip: If you don’t like the idea of adding coffee grounds to your roses, certainly consider adding them to your general compost bin. It will help to enrich your compost for future use.

Coffee grounds are great to use, but here’s my favorite soil treatment for roses.

Let’s explore some of the benefits of coffee grounds in a bit more detail.

Coffee grounds improve soil drainage

Because roses love organic and loamy-type soil that drains well, adding coffee grounds can be a helpful way to improve drainage.

Coffee grounds can help to aerate the soil and improve drainage by adding them to heavy clay soils. Do this by mixing in 2-3 inches of coffee grounds into the top 6-8 inches of your rose bed’s soil.

This will help reduce compaction and that soggy feeling that can happen when you overwater your roses.

Roses love aerated soil that drains well. Worms help to aerate the soil, and coffee grounds are good for attracting worms. So there’s an additional benefit here.

The resulting casts that the worms leave in their wake add further nutrients to the soil. The worm tunnels left behind help the rose plant’s roots to penetrate deeper with less resistance.

Coffee grounds add essential nutrients

Roses are heavy feeders and love nitrogen, along with phosphorus, as well as potassium, which is all found in coffee grounds. By adding coffee grounds to your rose beds, you’re essentially giving them a little boost of these essential nutrients.

When to use coffee grounds for roses

The best time to use coffee grounds for roses is in the spring when the plants are just beginning to grow. So ideally around April through May. At this point, roses are hitting their growth stage and that’s the optimum time for a nitrogen boost.

A light layer of coffee grounds mixed into the soil around the base of each plant will help to give them a boost and get them off to a good start.

In the summer, you can continue to use coffee grounds around the base of the plants. But do it less often, and you should also add a layer of mulch to help protect the roots and retain moisture.

You shouldn’t really be adding coffee grounds to roses in the Fall. So stop adding any nitrogen-based fertilizer by mid-August. By this time they do not need the nitrogen boost to their growth as their season is almost over.

But if you want to get some preparation underway for next year, then add coffee grounds to your compost in the fall, then it can be used as a part of your composting process.

Simply add them to your compost bin along with other organic materials such as leaves and grass clippings. This will help to create rich compost that you can use in the following Spring to fertilize your roses.

How much coffee grounds to add to roses

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the amount of coffee grounds you’ll need to add to your roses will vary depending on the type of rose and the size of the pot or container. However…

In general, as to the right quantity of coffee grounds to use, a good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 cup of coffee grounds per rose plant. If you’re unsure, then start by adding 1/4 cup of coffee grounds per rose plant.

Gauge the response over the next 7-10 days, and increase the amount if you find that your roses are not responding as well as you’d like or responding well enough that you don’t need to add more.

How to add coffee grounds to roses:

Here’s the simple step-by-step guide on how to add coffee grounds to your rose plants:

1. Add coffee grounds to your compost bin or pile them alongside everything else you throw in there.
2. If you don’t have a compost bin or pile, simply spread the coffee grounds evenly around the base of your roses.
3. lightly work into the soil to avoid clumping of the grounds.
4. Water the area well
5. Repeat every few weeks or as needed.
6. Occasionally measure the pH balance of the soil. Roses excel at around pH 6.5 up to around pH 6.8. So check you’re not making the soil too acidic with too much coffee ground.

Also, make sure the coffee grounds are completely dry before adding them to your garden as wet coffee grounds can mold and attract other pests. Unless you’re using the bucket method outlined below.

The bucket method – coffee “tea”

Another method of developing your coffee grounds is to use a bucket of water to make your mixture. This method is used to make coffee tea, which can be used as a general fertilizer for your roses or other plants.

To make the coffee bucket mix:

1. At the start of Spring, fill a 5-gallon bucket about 3/4 of the way with water.
2. Each day, add your used coffee grounds to the bucket, I’d recommend about 7 days’ worth of coffee servings.
3. You’re looking for a near 30/70 to 50/50 mix of coffee grounds vs water
4. Let the bucket sit for a week or so to soak up all the nutrients from the coffee.
5. Once ready, simply pour one cup of the “tea” around each of your rose plants. One cup should contain around 30%-50% coffee – so it’s up to 1/2 cup of coffee per plant.
6. Repeat roughly every two weeks until the rose plant is well into its growth stage

Which type of coffee grounds to add to roses

There are many types of coffee grounds that can be added to roses, in fact just about any of them really.

You can use:

• The best type is organic coffee – This will help to keep the rose plants healthy and free from any chemicals the coffee might contain.
• Used coffee grounds – these are the most common type of coffee grounds and are usually a little more acidic.
• Fresh coffee grounds – these are less common but can be used. They’re usually less acidic than used coffee grounds.
• Instant coffee grounds – these are the least common but can be used. They’re often more alkaline than other types of coffee ground. I tend not to use these as they are usually highly processed.

So I avoid using instant coffee and treated or flavored coffee grounds as I’d rather not risk harming my roses.

Can you add coffee grounds to rose plant leaves?

I tend not to do this, but yes, you can add coffee grounds to the rose plant leaves. This will help to keep the leaves healthy and free from any pests or diseases.

It also adds nitrogen directly to the leaves, which can help to encourage growth even more.

As a side bonus, it also adds that coffee aroma to the roses that you can benefit from before they bloom and fill the garden with their perfume.

How often should you add coffee grounds to roses?

Ideally, you should add coffee grounds to your roses every two weeks or so. This will give them a good supply of nitrogen and other nutrients that they need to stay healthy and strong.

But stop adding coffee grounds to roses if you notice any negative effects, such as the leaves turning yellow or brown. And don’t continue much past Spring and early summer.

When NOT to add coffee grounds to rose plants

If you’re a coffee drinker, you may be tempted to add all of your coffee grounds to your rose plants. However, coffee grounds can actually be detrimental to rose plants in some cases…

Young plants or weak blooms

If your rose plants are young or haven’t been producing blooms well, refrain from adding coffee grounds.

The acidity in coffee grounds can stunt their growth and may make the soil too acidic, leading to fewer blooms.

Sometimes, the speed of growth given by nitrogen does not translate well to an abundant crop of rose blooms. the plant simply can’t support it.

Also, for new plants, the concentration of nitrogen can burn the roots and the plant itself. Ideally, you should only use coffee grounds on roses that are at least 2 years old.

When there are pests

If you have pests, like aphids, on your roses, avoid adding coffee grounds. Potential pests may be attracted to the coffee grounds and will only make the problem worse.

In general, it’s best to err on the side of caution when adding coffee grounds to your rose plants. A little goes a long way and

It’s easy to add too much. Start with a small amount and increase as needed. It’s also a bit of an advanced method, so if you’re a beginner, you may want to try some other methods first.

When it comes to coffee grounds and roses, a little goes a long way. It’s easy to add too much and the wrong amount can actually deter growth or even kill your plant.

Start with a small quantity of coffee grounds and increase as needed.

Be sure to check out my recommended tools and resources here. And here are some related articles that you might like…

Are coffee grounds good for roses ~ More roses help

I hope this has helped in providing some confidence in using coffee grounds around your roses.

Adding coffee grounds to your rose plants is a bit of an advanced method, so if you’re a beginner, you may want to try some other methods first.

If you’re unsure about how much coffee grounds to add, it’s best to seek help or advice from someone you know who has hands-on experience in adding coffee grounds to their roses.