Having plants like azaleas around is a great way to add life to your surroundings. You might be wondering what conditions they prefer and if coffee grounds will help them thrive.
Doing your proper research will help to take better care of their plants and have them thriving too.
Do azaleas like coffee grounds?
You should first test and check your soil conditions. This is because soil pH changes according to conditions. If your soil is too alkaline then adding coffee grounds will make your azaleas thrive. They love acidic soil and adding coffee grounds (Which they like) will make it suitable for them.
Azaleas do not like when the soil condition is too alkaline. This is because alkaline soil conditions lead to the azaleas not being able to absorb proper nutrients from their soil.
As a result, they cannot produce enough food, and their leaves will start to yellow and dry up.
If you add coffee grounds when the soil is too alkaline, it will naturally hike up the pH level of the soil.
Your azaleas will be able to absorb nutrients better and go back to producing their food and thriving. This is why it is important to check your soil pH level from time to time, particularly for azalea plants.
Used coffee grounds:
Azaleas do like used coffee grounds. Ensure to check your soil pH level before adding any type of coffee grounds to your azaleas. Used coffee grounds or coffee grounds that have already been brewed are moderately acidic.
This makes it perfect for any azalea plants that only need to kick up their pH a little bit and make it acidic. Adding fresh coffee grounds might end up being too acidic for them to thrive in.
Fresh coffee grounds:
Azaleas like fresh coffee grounds. On the other hand, if you notice that the soil pH of your azalea plant has gone too high and alkaline then consider using fresh coffee grounds instead of used or brewed ones.
This is because fresh coffee grounds have a higher acidic value and if your plant needs more help fresh coffee grounds will be the way to help them thrive again.
Never put any coffee grounds without checking the soil pH level first as it might end up doing more harm than good.
5 reasons why azaleas like coffee ground:
There are many reasons why azaleas like coffee grounds and why you should put them in your soil to grow azaleas.
Source of nitrogen:
Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen for your azalea plants that they will love.
Repellent:
Not only are coffee grounds a good source of nitrogen, but they are also great repellents. The strong smell present in it will ward off any pests and even your cat.
Acidity:
The main reason, however, why coffee grounds are used for plants like azaleas is due to the acidity. Sometimes the pH of the soil might increase too much and become alkaline.
This will make it hard for your azalea plants to absorb nutrients from the soil. Adding coffee grounds is a natural way to add acidity to the soil. This will make your azaleas thrive and prevent them from fading away. It will keep their leaves healthy as well.
Natural fertilizer:
Besides coffee grounds being amazing for the soil, it is amazing for the plant itself too. Adding coffee grounds mixed with water will act as a natural fertilizer for your azalea plants and make them grow well and stay strong too.
Prevent weeds:
There are some properties present in coffee grounds that will stop from weeds growing in your garden.
This will ensure that the azalea plants get all the resources and benefits from your soil instead of weeds infesting and using the nutrients up.
Do azaleas need coffee grounds? Do coffee grounds help azaleas grow?
In some cases, your azalea plant will absolutely need coffee grounds. There are a lot of weather and environmental conditions that will constantly change the pH level of the soil that your azalea plants are growing on. This is why it is always important that you check the pH levels regularly.
If the pH level becomes too alkaline then the azalea plant will start showing signs of distress. Alkaline pH level prevents azalea plants from absorbing the nutrients present in the soil. When that happens, they are not able to produce their food properly.
Over time, the leaves will start to change color and your plant will significantly weaken. The leaves will start to fall off too.
When the pH becomes too alkaline you must use coffee grounds for your azalea plants as it is a natural and safe way for the soil to have an increase in acidity. If your soil is too alkaline then use fresh coffee grounds as they have a higher acidic value.
Used or brewed coffee grounds have a moderate pH value so use them only when your soil is moderately alkaline.
If your soil does not contain too much nitrogen then coffee grounds will actually help your azaleas grow as well as produce fruits and flowers.
However, if your soil does contain adequate nitrogen then adding coffee grounds can do the exact opposite of triggering growth. Too much nitrogen present in the soil can actually stunt the growth of your azalea plants.
How much coffee grounds should you put around azaleas?
Coffee grounds are too heavy to just dump on your soil and expect it to help your azalea plants. Therefore, many gardeners suggest that you create compost with coffee grounds according to your needs. In this way, you can also control how much nitrogen goes into your soil.
If there is too much nitrogen present in your soil then it can actually stunt the growth of your azalea plants which you must avoid.
You should not add any more than a volume of twenty five percent of coffee grounds to your compost. Too many coffee grounds can harm your azalea plant.
Also, ensure to check the soil pH beforehand so that you know which coffee ground would be best to use for your particular azaleas needs.
What is the best time to fertilize azaleas with coffee?
The best time to fertilize your azalea plants with coffee would be during the spring season. That is the best time for the plant to absorb all the nutrients and use them towards their growth and being healthy so that they can produce buds later on.
If you fertilize it any later than spring then it might hamper its production of buds.
Besides that, you should serve your plants with coffee grounds anytime if you notice that the soil pH has gotten too alkaline. If you wait until spring to give them the coffee grounds then your plant might be too weak by then for you to revive it back.
How do you add coffee grounds to azaleas?
There are specific guidelines you should follow when adding coffee grounds to your azaleas.
For fertilizing purposes:
If you are planning on adding coffee grounds as a means of fertilizer then it is best if you just spread the coffee grounds on your soil. This will do the job and give your plant adequate nutrients, especially nitrogen needed for growth.
Compost:
If you are planning on adding coffee grounds to your azaleas so that the soil can have an acidic pH for your azaleas to thrive in then composting is your way to go.
If you have azaleas then always have a compost around because you never know when the soil pH might change and turn alkaline.
How to compost:
For plants such as azaleas, have brown compost around using cardboard and newspapers. This will prevent the soil from getting too much nitrogen and stunting the growth of your azaleas.
Green compost tends to carry a lot of nitrogen. Use around twenty five percent volume of nitrogen in your brown compost.
Using it:
Whenever the pH rises, put the compost carefully on the soil where your azaleas grow before they start to fade due to the high alkaline levels.
Final Thoughts
Coffee grounds are a great way to give acidity to the soil where your azaleas grow so that they can thrive. However, make sure to have an eye on the nitrogen levels of your soil too because too much nitrogen can cause stunted growth and prevent your azaleas from producing buds.