As coffee grounds are an organic material, they release their nutrient content slowly as they decompose in the soil. Coffee grounds provide an ideal breeding ground for fungal organisms, and this can lead to fungal disease in your plants. These dry, fresh grounds usually contain more caffeine than your used coffee grounds, which can damage most flowering plants. Similarly, coffee grounds might attract pests and other insects as well. Pour the mixture close to the base of the plants you want to fertilize. Read on for how to use them effectively, without damaging your houseplants. Jade plants love coffee as they like nitrogen. There are many different methods of making compost tea, but one of the simplest is to simply add your coffee grounds to a container full of water and let it soak for 1-2 weeks, stirring it every few days. You might enjoy cream, sugar, and other additives, but your plants won't. The used coffee grounds will also help microorganisms beneficial to plant growth thrive as well as attract earthworms. Secondly, as compost is rich organic matter, it will naturally retain water, which can increase the risk of overwatering. 2. The magic of the coffee grounds provides benefits to your plants. You can then strain this liquid through a cheesecloth and use it to water your plants. It doesn’t take long to see that coffee is touted as the panacea of the garden. Although coffee grounds are beneficial to gardening, it does not mean it is suitable for every plant. Coffee grounds won't provide a burst of nitrogen to houseplants or garden plants immediately; they only produce nitrogen over time as they are composted. Fresh Coffee Grounds for Acid-Loving Plants While used coffee grounds are only slightly acidic, fresh (unbrewed) coffee grounds have more acid. This low-maintenance plant enjoys an occasional coffee treat. Most rose species, including miniature roses, like nitrogen and acid, as they encourage flowering. Once again, this highlights why adding coffee grounds to the surface of the soil is not recommended. Nitrogen helps to encourage lush leafy growth, so using a compost containing coffee grounds amongst your plants will promote foliage health. Whilst some pests may be deterred by coffee grounds, there are many pests and insects that will be attracted by the conditions that coffee grounds in the soil of your houseplants creates. Using coffee grounds as compost is the best possible option. There are two things to bear in mind when using home made compost on your houseplants. The direct application of the grounds to houseplant soil is detrimental. But this is only true for unwashed coffee grounds. Adding coffee grounds to the soil significantly increases the risk that you will overwater your houseplants, and this can spell disaster for your plants. Add coffee grounds in the potting mix or simply sprinkle a solution of coffee and water for lush growth. The color white brings peace... © 2020 Balcony Garden Web | All rights reserved, 10 Houseplants that Love Coffee | Coffee Grounds for Plant Growth, Check out our article on using coffee grounds for gardening, all you need to know on how to make a Christmas cactus bloom, Check out our article on growing pothos indoors, all you need to know about growing Philodendron, Check out our article on growing African Violets, all the information you need on making roses bloom, Check out our article on growing Jade Plants, are the different types of snake plants you can grow, Check out our article on different types of spider plants, 20 Edible Balcony Garden Pictures for Ideas, 15 Old Tea Tins Turned Into Fabulous Indoor Plant Homes, Staghorn Fern Care | How to Grow Staghorn Fern, Split-Leaf Philodendron Care | How to Grow Split-Leaf Philodendron, 14 Really Cute Tabletop Garden DIYs for 2021. Use half a cup of black coffee per plant, once in 2-3 weeks. This not only provides a good source of nutrients, but adds beneficial bacteria, which can improve the health of the soil and your plants. If you have a lot of spent coffee grounds, and you’re on a bit of a budget, there is evidence to suggest that coffee grounds are great for soil structure. It helps them to stay dark in color and encourage thick stem growth. Mix 1 part of coffee ground to 3 parts of garden soil or potting mix for best results. You have entered an incorrect email address! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. However, using the coffee ground for houseplants can cause more harm than benefits. Popular for thin, variegated, spider-like foliage, this air-purifying houseplant does well in mild-acidic soil. Coffee grounds ward off slugs! The coffee grounds can also be used as an organic matter. “Fresh coffee grounds are acidic. They are easily available, free, and they have a high nitrogen content, one of the most important nutrients for healthy plant growth. Coffee grounds are one of many natural houseplant fertilizers. If you do use coffee grounds on your indoor plants, either directly or as part of a compost, you can reduce the risk of overwatering by altering the composition of the soil that you use. Coffee grounds are considered a green material, and they provide extra organic matter in addition to speeding up the decomposition process. Put coffee grounds in your compost for healthy soil and earthworms! Before you pour, dilute it with the same amount of water and make sure to use only black coffee or tea. Hi, I’m Andrew, and Smart Garden Guide is my website all about indoor gardening and houseplants. Don’t use coffee grounds to manage heavy pest infestations. The color of the flowers will improve by the addition of these in soil. Yes. This attractive houseplant flowers from December till April. Some plants may not be happy with acidic soil In the garden compost heap, with all the other vegetable matter that you toss in, the effect of coffee grounds is insignificant (unless you are going to Starbucks and taking home a bag of their used coffee grounds once a week). Coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, encourage the growth of the beneficial microorganisms in the soil, and help plants that prefer acidic growing medium. Using coffee grounds on indoor plants is also a good way to reduce household waste production. Your old coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen, a prime nutrient many houseplants require. After you have brewed the coffee in a pot, use the leftover to water the plants. We are advised to put them in the garden for perky plants and bright blue azaleas. smartgardenguide.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other Amazon stores worldwide. Although coffee grounds are widely believed to be an acidifying agent when added to garden soil, the pH of grounds usually tends to be closer to neutral. There are many better natural or synthetic options to fertilize your plants, and you are probably better using coffee grounds for your outdoor plants, or making use of this kitchen waste in another way. The short answer: unwashed coffee grounds will lower the pH level of your garden (raise the acidity), which is great for plants that like acidic soil, but hurts plants that prefer less acidic soil. You can even water your plants using coffee. By adding more coarse sand or perlite to the potting mix, this will increase drainage, allowing the soil to dry out faster after watering, reducing the risk of overwatering and root rot. They apparently act like very fine perlite – loosening the soil and retaining water. I mean, it would be frustrating to see your dear plant suffering for your mistakes! In an article from 2009, she wrote: "Coffee Grounds – Will They Perk Up Plants?" Both brewed coffee and tea are slightly acidic and over time may change the soil chemistry in your pots too much. The bottom line is coffee for houseplants might not be the ideal option, but if you use it efficiently, it can be beneficial for your plants. You can aid in dense growth by watering the cyclamen frequently in the flowering season with water and coffee solution. It is a huge fan of nitrogen and acid so you can use a solution of coffee and water for best growth. Add all your used coffee grounds to your compost pile and wait until your compost is ready to be used. For most people, I would recommend using coffee grounds for your outdoor garden and using alternative options to fertilize your houseplants. Can You Use Coffee Grounds To Fertilize Indoor Plants? This problem can be reduced by ensuring the coffee grounds are worked well into the soil. Using coffee grounds to make compost is by far the best option, if you want to use coffee grounds to fertilize indoor plants. Let’s have a look at the Houseplants That Love Coffee. Coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen in your compost pile or when added directly to the soil in the garden. Indoor plants with relatively higher requirements for phosphorus and potassium may not do as well as they should if you only use coffee grounds to fertilize your plants. Benefits of coffee grounds on house plants. While sure, you could always use commercially-produced fertilizer, if you have the coffee grounds … Although there are potentially a number of problems with doing this, it can provide a sustained source of nutrients for up to 6 months, depending on the plant. 12 Stunning Calathea Varieties You Will Love. Alternatively, see this article to find out which fertilizer I use on almost all my indoor plants. However, there are three great options for how your indoor plants can benefit from coffee grounds as a fertilizer. Many of us will have dumped the cold remains of a forgotten coffee in a plant pot at some point, and then perhaps wondered if it was the wrong thing to do! Grow HUGE plants with coffee grounds! In my experience, this is not an issue. Coffee grounds can be converted into solid and liquid fertilizers. Coffee grounds can be especially beneficial to houseplants when used as a mulch, pesticide, compost, or fertilizer. This beautiful houseplant offers a wide range of varieties to grow indoors. Coffee grounds contain a large amount of nitrogen compared to phosphorus and potassium.