When should you not use coffee grounds in the garden?
Coffee grounds contain caffeine, which can be harmful to some plants. Caffeine acts as a natural pesticide, which can inhibit growth, particularly for seedlings and young plants. This is especially true for plants that are sensitive to caffeine and tolerate acidic soil poorly. However, there are some plants that you should avoid using coffee grounds on. Plants that prefer alkaline soil, like lavender and lilacs, can be harmed by the acidity of coffee grounds. Plants that are sensitive to caffeine, such as geraniums and some herbs, can also be affected by the presence of coffee grounds.In most cases, the grounds are too acidic to be used directly on soil, even for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas and hollies. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.Not ALL plants love coffee grounds. While coffee grounds work wonders for some plants, others—like lavender, rosemary, and succulents—can suffer from the acidity and moisture retention.
What animal eats coffee plants?
In the wild, the civet cat is naturally drawn to the best, ripe fruits on the coffee plant; that’s why, effectively, they would produce the best beans, in small batches. A coffee bean is actually the seed of a cherry-sized fruit that grows on the coffee plant. Civets eat the whole fruit. Palm civets eat coffee fruits and the beans are collected after being digested and defecated. This process allegedly the coffee smoother and less bitter. Called kopi luwak, this coffee is difficult to collect in the wild, as the civets only eat fully ripe coffee fruits.