Tomato plant care using coffee grounds

Coffee has a myriad of uses besides just being a beverage. Many people use it for mulching and gardening as it contains minerals and nutrients that are beneficial to soil and plants. Tomatoes are one vegetable plant that does very well with used coffee grounds. Coffee grounds provide acid and nitrogen, nutrients that fertilize and condition the soil, providing ideal conditions for growing tomato plants.

Before tossing coffee grounds in the garbage, think twice. High in nitrogen, they can have a second life as a natural fertilizer and pest deterrent and are ideal for use in growing tomatoes. Non-coffee drinkers can also fertilize with grounds, because many coffee shops give away used grounds for free to anyone who asks. Depending on the intended result, coffee grounds can be scattered around the base of tomato plants or used in compost for them.

Using coffee grounds
Begin by saving used coffee grounds. Sprinkle the coffee grounds on top of the soil surrounding the plant. Water the grounds daily to maintain proper moisture and to encourage the nutrients in the coffee grounds to equally distribute in the soil. Reapply the coffee grounds when you have a difficult time noticing their presence on top of the soil.

Fertilizer
Purchase a 5-gallon bucket from the local hardware or gardening store. Place ½ pound of ground coffee in the bottom of the bucket. Boil a medium sized pot of water and add to the ground coffee. Let it steep for 5 minutes and then fill the remaining space of the bucket with water from the outdoor hose. Place the coffee solution in a watering can and apply to your tomato plants on a daily basis until you achieve the desired result.

Coffee as a natural insecticide
Coffee grounds also act as a natural insecticide on tomato plants, according to information from Scribd.com. Use this method especially if growing organic tomato plants, as this removes the need for a synthetic insecticide. Prepare coffee in a French press as double strength. Add 6 tbsp. of ground coffee to a 16-ounce French press and fill with boiling water. Let steep for 4 minutes and then stir with a spoon. Let the coffee cool to room temperature before using on a plant. Use this extra strength coffee on your tomato plants by slowly pouring the coffee, including the grounds, over the leaves and fruit of the tomato.

Coffee grounds and tomato growth
Using coffee grounds to grow healthy tomatoes is a smart idea for several reasons. Coffee grounds are a strong source of nitrogen, which is vital to the development of healthy roots and aids in the development of plant tissue and the production of chlorophyll. Coffee grounds are also an easy means of enriching soil with organic matter, which improves aeration, drainage and water retention.

Composting
Mixing coffee grounds with wood ash, shredded leaves and lime creates a rich compost, one high in nitrogen that's easy for tomatoes to access. Using grounds to make compost is also a way of lessening their acidity, because in their raw, untreated form, coffee grounds may make the soil too acidic for plants to thrive.
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Protection
A bag of used coffee grounds serves double duty as an all-natural fertilizer and slug and snail repellent. The caffeine in coffee grounds is lethal to snails and slugs, which absorb it when crawling over the grounds using their soft, fleshy foot. To use coffee grounds for this purpose, simply pour them around tomato plants, encircling them completely to create a poisonous barrier for unwanted guests.

Other benefits
Coffee grounds also attract beneficial creatures to garden beds. Earthworms love coffee grounds and serve many purposes in the garden, turning organic matter into plant food and increasing the amount of oxygen and water in the soil. Coffee grounds also fight late blight, a fungal disease that covers tomato plants in lesions before destroying the fruits. The disease is typically controlled with fungicides, but coffee grounds are a nontoxic, natural alternative.