Coffee grounds, eggshells and Epsom salts in the home garden

Quick facts

• Coffee grounds contain compounds that feed goodly territory but they do n’t lower ph .
• Eggshells do not prevent bloom goal decompose. They add constituent material for land organisms, but you may equally well just put them in the compost .
• Epsom salts can be harmful to soil, plants and water .

Every once in a while, it ‘s good to take a tone back and think about what we add to our gardens and why. Some things we add are helpful, some are neutral, and some can even be harmful to your territory or plants. Three common soil health “ remedies ” may or may not be helpful in the garden.

Remedy #1: Used coffee grounds to lower soil pH

Coffee grounds can be beneficial to your dirt. however, they have not been shown to consistently lower territory ph. Cultivating a robust and diverse population of land microbe is the foundation for healthy soil and healthy plants. Soil organisms then transform these nutrients into chemicals that plants use for growth .

• Coffee grounds contain carbon, nitrogen and other compounds that feed soil organisms.
• Coffee grounds can contain compounds that help suppress some plant disease-causing microbes.
• Coffee grounds make an excellent addition to compost.

If you want to lower your land ‘s ph, elemental sulfur is a good option. other options for lowering dirt ph may include iron sulfate or aluminum sulfate, but they are more expensive than elemental sulfur and aluminum is toxic to about all but the most acid-loving plants .
For best results, do a dirty test prior to establishing any perennial plantings that need a lower ph ( such as blueberries ) because some soils may be excessively alkaline or have chemical characteristics that make it difficult to efficaciously lower ph .

Verdict:

Modest amounts of coffee bean grounds in the garden can be beneficial, but not for lowering territory ph .

Remedy #2: Crushed eggshells to prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes

Eggshells won’t help your blossom end rot The theme here is that blossom end decompose is caused by a calcium insufficiency, so adding calcium-rich eggshells to the soil could provide calcium to your tomatoes ( or other plants that suffer from blossom end putrefaction ) .
It ‘s true that blossom end waste is a sign of calcium insufficiency in fruits ( tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, etc ). But most Minnesota soils already have enough of calcium for garden plants. This kind of calcium insufficiency is not a result of inadequate calcium in the territory, but rather a signal that there ‘s a water system transmit issue in your plants .

• Calcium enters plants only through the actively growing root tips.
• Calcium moves through the plant and into the fruits along with water, via transpiration.
• Damage to roots or problems with water uptake and movement in the plant can limit the amount of calcium reaching the fruit.

sometimes, a big abundance of early nutrients in the soil ( such as magnesium or ammonium ) can besides interfere with calcium consumption .

How to prevent blossom end rot:

• Keep the soil evenly moist by providing adequate water (but not too much) and mulching around plants.
• Protect your plant’s roots. Don’t cultivate too close to the base of the plant.
• Do a soil test and add fertilizer according to recommendations and fertilizer label instructions. 

Read more about preventing flower end waste .
And finally, if you ‘ve added eggshells to your compost, you know that they do n’t decompose very promptly. It ‘s no different if you add eggshells immediately to your garden dirty. even if you did need the calcium in your dirty, eggshells generally decompose excessively slowly to be effective. however, the smaller the pieces are, the flying they ‘ll decompose .
agrarian birdlime and gypsum are estimable sources of calcium, but do a dirty test before applying.

Verdict:

Eggshells do not prevent bloom end putrefaction. The good news is that they wo n’t harm your land or plants and they add organic material for dirty organisms, but you may vitamin a well just put them in the compost .

Remedy #3: Epsom salts to prevent blossom end rot and make peppers and tomatoes more productive

Epsom salts are best in the bath, not in the garden. Would n’t that be courteous ? sadly, it ‘s not true .
Epsom salts contain magnesium sulfate ( MgSO4 ) and are touted as a common garden panacea. however, after reading Remedy # 2, you now know that flower end decomposition is caused by a calcium lack and not a magnesium or sulphur lack. sol, Epsom salts will not prevent flower end bunk .
In fact, adding besides much magnesium to your soil can actually prevent adequate calcium from getting into your plants, making flower end decompose even worse .
As for increase productiveness, there ‘s no attest to indicate that this is then unless your soil is deficient in magnesium. Epsom salts can be a good source of magnesium, but only use them if a soil test indicates that you have a magnesium lack .

• Magnesium deficiencies in the home garden in Minnesota are most likely to occur on sandy, low pH soils.
• Adding Epsom salts to soil that already has sufficient magnesium can actually harm your soil and plants, such as by inhibiting calcium uptake.
• Spraying Epsom salt solutions on plant leaves can cause leaf scorch.
• Excess magnesium can increase mineral contamination in water that percolates through soil.

The best practice is to avoid adding any extra chemicals to your territory – even things that seem ‘safe ‘ – because you can easily do more damage than well .

Verdict:

Unless you have a magnesium lack in your garden, there is no necessitate to add Epsom salts. Doing then could even be harmful to soil, plants and water .
Find out more about healthy territory and getting a dirt test .
Chalker-Scott, L., 2007. Miracle, myth … or commercialize : Epsom salts. hypertext transfer protocol : //s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/epsom-salts.pdf
Chalker-Scott, L., 2009. Miracle, myth … or commercialize : Coffee grounds – will they perk up plants ? hypertext transfer protocol : //s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/403/2015/03/coffee-grounds.pdf

Combs, S., 2007. Reducing Soil ph. hypertext transfer protocol : //hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/reducing-soil-ph/ Anne Sawyer, Extension educator Reviewed in 2020