Tomatoes are quite greedy plants, and right now in spring, they need to be fed plenty of nutrients if you want them to be bursting with fruit later on in the year. At the moment, tomatoes are growing their stems, and if they grow strong enough, then the plant will be able to produce lots of heavy fruit.
However, if the stems do not get enough feed in April, they will be spindly and thin, which means they will be too weak to produce the big, juicy tomatoes gardeners want. Jim Competti, a gardener and co-founder of Simple Garden Life has shared that “one of the best ways” to grow better tomato stems is a leftover most people have in their kitchen. He said: “Coffee grounds lend a helping hand to tomato plants in a whole slew of ways. For starters, the grounds left over from making from your morning cup of coffee contain all kinds of nutrients that tomatoes love.”
Coffee grounds can be used to fertilise tomatoes because they contain a high level of nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for healthy plant growth.
They can also improve soil structure, helping tomato plants establish roots more quickly and retain more water during the summer months.
Tomatoes need consistent hydration, and gardeners forgetting to water them is one of the most common reasons the fruit does not grow as large or as full as it should.
Using coffee grounds not only supports root development but also helps the soil retain moisture and become slightly acidic, creating an ideal environment for tomato plants.
One of the main reasons gardeners use their morning coffee grounds on tomatoes is that they can naturally deter slugs, as slugs find their bitter scent unpleasant and are less likely to approach the plants.
How to use coffee grounds to fertilise tomatoes
One of the easiest ways to use coffee grounds is to mix them in with the soil when you are planting tomatoes in a raised bed or container, to help feed them when they are just growing.
However, if your tomatoes are already in the ground, then simply scatter three or four tablespoons on the soil around the base of the plant.
Give your tomato plant a good watering after using the coffee grounds to help the nutrients sink into the soil, and they should act as a slow fertiliser to boost tomatoes in spring.
It should be noted that natural feeds like coffee can be very potent, and using too much can risk overfertilising tomato plants, which means they will focus more on growing the stems rather than fruit.
You only need a few teaspoons of coffee grounds per tomato plant, and they only need to be fed once in spring for you to reap the rewards once summer arrives.
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