Yes! Coffee grounds can be especially beneficial to houseplants when used as a mulch, pesticide, compost, or fertilizer. You can even water your plants using coffee. Just make sure to limit your coffee quantities, as too much caffeine can stunt plant growth and increase the risk of fungal diseases.
'Coffee grounds are an excellent houseplant fertilizer due to their high nitrogen content (about 2 per cent) that releases slowly into the potting media as they decompose. However, coffee grounds have more to offer to plants than just nitrogen,' she says.
Excessive acidic soil can kill or hamper the growth of plants like asparagus fern, Chinese mustard, Italian ryegrass, lavender, orchids, rosemary, tomatoes, and geranium. The roots of these plants are also not potent to absorb the nutrients added by the coffee grounds in the soil.
We recommend using about a teaspoon of coffee grounds per gallon of water. Let the coffee grounds and water mixture steep for a few nights, stirring occasionally, then strain the liquid through a cheesecloth. The remaining liquid can be used to water, and gently fertilize, your houseplants.
"The best way to use coffee grounds in plants is adding them to your compost pile, and then mixing a little bit of that compost in with your potting soil," Marino says. Diluting coffee grounds works the same way as diluting fertilizer: using just a teaspoon of coffee grounds per gallon of water.
How Often Should You Add Coffee Grounds to Plants? You can fertilize houseplants an average of 7 to 10 days in a row, but no more, as there is a risk of over-acidification of the soil. A cup of ground coffee should be added to the compost once a week.
When repotting plants, thoroughly mix in a quarter cup of grounds for every 4 to 6 cups of potting soil. By blending it into the soil, it will release its power slowly. All without the worry of clumping together and holding too much water in place around roots.
How can watering with coffee benefit my garden? Plants love coffee, too. Coffee contains a lot of nitrogen, which not only kills off weeds and bacteria but can also help certain types of plants (a.k.a those that prefer more acidic soil) flourish.
The shells also contain other minerals that help plants grow, including potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Eggshells are, therefore, an effective and inexpensive fertilizer for outdoor garden soil and houseplants.
Although coffee is highly acidic, most of the acidity is removed during the brewing process and most coffee grounds have near neutral acidity (around 6.8pH). For indoor plants, however, direct application of the grounds is not recommended.
Compost coffee grounds for a vegetable garden instead of using them directly. Remember, coffee grounds are not good for tomatoes or seedlings. Get a soil test, especially if your plants are not thriving or you want to change the acidity of the soil.
The green fungus called Trichoderma, is very beneficial to the soil. The blue-green fungus is moderately beneficial. At any rate, moldy coffee is good to use directly in the garden, on your houseplants, or in the compost pile.
You know that last bit of coffee that always seems to be left in the carafe? Don't just pour it down the drain — you can use it to fertilize your plants, both indoor and outdoor. Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, producing healthy green growth and strong stems.
Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers.
Which plants shouldn't you try this with? Don't add eggshell fertilizer to plants that prefer acidic soil, like blueberries. Ericaceous plants such as mountain laurel, pieris and azaleas also fall into that category. In extreme cases, low acidity for plants could impact their overall health and/or the resulting crop.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
Plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in particular will benefit from shell fertilizer, Savio said. The extra calcium will help prevent blossom-end rot.
Used Tea Bags can slightly lower the pH level in pots and provide the plants themselves with vital nutrients and minerals. Just open up the Tea Bags, sprinkle in the leaves and allow your green friends to flourish.
Like sulphur, cinnamon is a natural fungicide that helps most plants root, while inhibiting the spores that cause rot in stem cuttings. Dip prepared plant stems in cinnamon and push them into the soil. It's an effective rooting hormone that's easy to use and inexpensive.
Acid Fertilizer
Those acids can be beneficial for plants, too. Acid-loving plants need a fertilizer with a low pH level. And Coke works. Try pouring a little bit of Coke in the garden around the base of your plants in the soil (not on the plant or roots itself).
Keep It Shelved
The best way to keep ground coffee or whole beans fresh is to store the coffee on a pantry shelf in an opaque, airtight container.
So do succulents like coffee grounds? Yes, succulents love coffee grounds, especially when they absorb all of the nutrients that coffee grounds provide. Coffee grounds are very acidic, and succulents grow well and love acidic soil.
Some gardeners report success in turning their hydrangeas blue by applying coffee grounds to the soil. The coffee grounds make the soil more acidic, allowing the hydrangea to more easily absorb aluminum. In addition, fruit peels, lawn clippings, peat moss and pine needles, are thought to have a similar effect.