A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet… even if it were doused in a cup of joe. Maybe especially so, if experts are to be believed, with many suggesting that you should sprinkle coffee on your roses this October.
Why? Well, if your rose garden is still flowering into fall (lucky you!), now is the time to give these "old-fashioned" flowers a little extra protection. Cool nights and damp weather, after all, are prime conditions for slugs, and these little pests can wreak havoc on fresh buds and tender new growth.
Thankfully, one simple kitchen leftover can make a big difference in keeping hungry slugs at bay and your roses looking their best: used coffee grounds.
Why Coffee Grounds Work in the Fall Garden
You’ve likely seen the claims all over social media and on Martha Stewart’s lifestyle blog: sprinkling dried, used coffee grounds around the base of roses helps deter slugs and suppress weeds at the same time.
How? Well, much like eggshells or gritty sand, coffee grounds act as a physical barrier, irritating slugs and dehydrating their soft bodies, making them think twice before sliding through.
There’s an added bonus, too; a light layer of coffee grounds can help prevent light from reaching weed seeds, reducing their growth around your roses as winter approaches.
You don’t need much; just a thin ring scattered around the outside of the root zone. Think of it as being a little like the salt circles used to deter the witches in Hocus Pocus; just draw a no-entry circle around your plants, and voila!
How to Apply Coffee Grounds Safely
If you decide to make like the masses and sprinkle coffee on your roses this October, take care that you don’t just upend your espresso over your beloved blooms.
Instead, stick to used and dried grounds from your coffee maker or French press; they’re far less acidic than fresh ones, and they’re less likely to clump into a dense mat on the soil surface.
Take care, too, to apply them thoughtfully – especially around roses. You don’t want the grounds to sit directly against the stems, as concentrated nitrogen or moisture could burn or rot the plant, and avoid piling more than half an inch deep.
You want a sprinkle, basically, and not a mulch layer.
What If You Don’t Drink Coffee?
Of course, it’s all well and good saying it’s a great idea to sprinkle coffee on your roses this October, but it’s no good to you if you don’t drink the stuff.
While you could ask your local café (many coffee shops are happy to give away used grounds for free), there is a more permanent option in the form of copper tape or copper rings, which are also known to repel slugs.
Something like Amazon’s GONZO Copper Stopper Slug and Snail Barrier Tape should do the trick nicely.
We know, we know; October is often the last push before roses begin to slow down for winter. Still, with the right care, they can continue blooming well into fall, especially in warmer USDA Hardiness Zones. And a little slug protection? Why, that can make the difference between flowers that fade naturally and buds that get chewed and chomped through before they’ve even had a chance to open.
Next time you make your morning brew, then, don’t toss the grounds straight into the bin. Instead, treat your roses to their own caffeine fix. With any luck, they will put them to much better use…
