Coffee grounds give your tomato plants a boost when added to compost and used in the garden as organic fertilizer. Asides from giving the tomato plants a boost, it also attracts earthworms and also deters insect pests and slugs present in the garden.
To add coffee grounds to your tomato plants, you can add the grounds to the compost bin but do not overdo it. Keep the coffee grounds to nothing more than 20% of the material added to your compost.
Just like fresh grass clippings and kitchen waste, coffee grounds are also considered to be green materials and thus, must be balanced with brown materials including dried leaves so as to have proper composting.
1) To add the grounds to the tomato plants, spread a one-half-inch layer of used coffee grounds around the base of your tomato plants and then proceed to top it with 2 – 3 inches of organic mulch. Studies reveal that coffee grounds compact easily and prevent good air circulation when applied in thicker layers but a thin layer gives the tomatoes nitrogen boost.
Related: Using Coffee Grounds And Eggshells For Tomato Plants – Step By Step Guide
2) You can also get a cup of used coffee grounds and have it sprinkled around the base of your tomato plant while also working it into the top 2 – 3 inches of soil with a claw or perhaps, a trowel. This causes a decomposition of the coffee grounds and thus, preventing issues with soil compaction.
3) When transplanting tomato seedlings, add well-composted coffee grounds to the planting hole. This will help to improve soil composition and also provide a source of nutrients to the tomato plants.
4) You can mulch around tomatoes with coffee grounds throughout the summer. Doing this will help in conserving the moisture while also preventing weeds and adding nutrients to the soil.
Related: Do Peppers Like Coffee Grounds? Here Is Step By Step Answer
5) You can as well till the coffee grounds into the soil in the fall and enable them to decompose in the soil. Soil can be amended using organic matter such as compost, manure as well as coffee grounds and this can be done twice a year.
6) You can also mix a part of your soil with one part of coffee grounds. This is applicable to container-grown tomatoes.
NOTE: You can add your coffee grounds to your topsoil a few times per week. The amount, however, will depend on the size of your gardening area. If you are making use of a large lot with about two or three tomato plants, you can add in 1 – 2 scoops worth of grounds per week.
Related: Do Tomatoes Like Coffee Grounds? Here Is Step By Step Answer
CONCLUSION
To add coffee grounds to tomato plants, you will require certain tools such as a compost bin, garden hoe, garden claw, and trowel. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and constantly require watering. The consistent watering helps them produce plump juicy fruit. You can water once or twice a week but ensure to water deeply. Tomatoes also require enough sunlight and 6 – 8 hours of direct sunlight daily works absolutely well.
