How to Add Epsom Salts and Coffee Grounds to Potting Soil

Apply Epsom salts or coffee grounds directly on top of potting soil. To apply coffee grounds, sprinkle a thin layer of no more than 1 or 2 tablespoons of grounds, then use a small trowel or an old fork to mix the grounds into the soil. Add Epsom salts directly on the soil, applying about 1 teaspoon of Epsom salts for every 1 foot of plant height. Sprinkle the Epsom salt evenly around the base of the plant.

Create a liquid fertilizer to add Epsom salts or coffee grounds to potting soil. To add Epsom salts, mix 2 tablespoons in a gallon of water. To make a liquid fertilizer from coffee grounds, mix 1/4 cup of coffee grounds in 1 cup of room temperature water. Place the Epsom salts or coffee grounds mixture in a watering can and water the plants once every month during the growing season.

Add coffee grounds to a compost pile or bin along with other wet ingredients, such as grass clippings, egg shells, vegetable peels or tea bags. Mix compost in a ratio of 2 parts wet ingredients and about 5 parts dry ingredients, such as shredded twigs, dry leaves, shredded paper or pine needles. Use the finished compost as an alternative to commercial potting soil, or use a combination of half compost and half potting soil.