Coffee for Tomatoes?

Yes, you heard it right, coffee for tomatoes. Tomato plants love used coffee. Well really they love the acidity. One of our members tells the tale of her grandmother religiously using coffee grounds on her plants, especially the tomatoes. The use of the coffee grounds served to increase the acidity in the soil. Tomatoes plants thrive in this increased acidity. Here in the Riviera Maya it is especially important because out soil can be very alkaline due to the large amount of limestone in our area. Actually the entire Yucatan peninsula is a huge limestone shelf. Limestone dissolves in the water and drops the pH (reducing the acidity).

So, next time you finish having your morning coffee take the grounds and give them to your plants. Just spread the grounds around the base of the plant and turn it into the soil. Before you know it you will end up with a thriving cherry tomato plant like the one that members Marguerite Kirk and Lydia Hollinger are looking at in this photo.