Coffee grounds in potted plants

How To Use Coffee Grounds On Houseplants

Did you know that one of the best ways to perk up and provide a little nutrition for your indoor houseplants is with coffee grounds?

It’s true! Coffee grounds are popular for powering vegetable plants, herbs and perennials in the great outdoors. But it just so happens, when used correctly, they can also be a big help to indoor plants as well.

The grounds from brewed beans have a lot more to give than just the rich, tasty coffee they produce. Coffee grounds are teeming with nutrients. In fact, not only do they contain trace amounts of phosphorous, magnesium and potassium, but calcium, zinc, and copper as well.

In addition, as coffee grounds leach and break down in the soil, they also help to fix nitrogen levels in the soil. Nitrogen that helps to power better root growth – and bigger and brighter blooms. It is certainly easy to see with all of its goodness why coffee helps plants grow better!

But with that said, there are a few key differences when using grounds on indoor plants vs. outdoor perennials, vegetables and flowers. Today, we take a look at those differences, and how to best use spent coffee grounds to power the plants you grow indoors.

For starters, it is important to realize that simply dumping coffee grounds on the soil surface of any indoor plant is not a good idea. In fact, doing so will most likely cause a plant more harm than good.

Coffee grounds retain a tremendous amount of moisture. Although that might sound like a positive, it can actually be very detrimental to house plants. Coffee grounds are so good at retaining moisture that when placed directly on the soil surface, they over-saturate a plant’s root system.

When this occurs, the roots of the plant swell excessively and become unable to take in nutrients. The end result is a houseplant that turns yellow from a lack of nourishment, and a root system that slowly rots and dies.

So exactly how can you use coffee grounds to help plants and not harm them? There are actually a couple of methods that are both quick and effective – with the easiest of them all being to make a fertilizing “tea” with the spent grounds.

Making & Using Coffee Fertilizing Tea –

One of the best ways to use coffee grounds to power your houseplants is by making a fertilizing tea from the spent grounds. Much like compost tea, the liquid is quickly absorbed by the plants roots for an energizing boost of nutrients.

So why not just water your plants with regular coffee? Unfortunately, fresh brewed coffee is simply too strong. But by making a much weaker “tea” from the spent grounds, it contains a more useful and safe level of nutrients.

Making a fertilizing tea from coffee is actually a very simple process. The easiest method is to simply run another pot of water through your coffee maker. Keep the grounds from your first batch in place, and re-make an entire pot. Of course, you need to let it cool before using, but the weak solution will supply a gentle source of nutrients to your plants.

Another method for making tea is to simply dump spent grounds into a container and fill with water. Allow it to steep for a few hours and soak in the nutrients. To use, strain to remove the grounds, and you are ready to water!

As a rule of thumb, the weak coffee tea can be used every 7 to 10 days. Any more and you risk over-fertilizing indoor plants with too many nutrients.

Working Grounds Into Potting Soil –

Another method for using grounds is to mix and blend them in small amounts into your potting soil. Although we covered above why simply dumping large amounts of spent grounds on an indoor plant can be harmful, they can be mixed sparingly into soil to provide beneficial nutrients. (See: How To Save Coffee Grounds In The Winter)

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.

For existing plants, work a teaspoon or two (depending on the size of the plant) into the top surface area of the soil. Again, be careful to mix and blend it in well. This keeps the soil from holding too much water in one place.

One note of caution on this method. You will want to avoid this process with cacti and succulents. Both prefer dry soil, and grounds should be avoided in the soil completely. Even with blending, it still will hold too much water and can harm the plants.

Using The Right Coffee –

It is important to also note that not all coffee grounds are the same. Flavored coffees and coffees with artificial ingredients should not be used on houseplants. Unfortunately, these brews can contain harsh chemicals that can harm plants.

Instead, when using coffee grounds, stick with the grounds from plain coffee. And it doesn’t matter if they are regular or decaffeinated – both varieties are fine. You can also safely use coffee blends made from several different bean types. The key is to avoid coffees with artificial additives.

Last but not least, it is important to note that we are referring to using spent coffee grounds, and not fresh, un-brewed coffee grounds.

Fresh coffee grounds are by nature much more acidic, and can upset the balance of the soil’s PH levels. The process of brewing actually reduces the acidic level in coffee grounds to a fraction of the acid when fresh.

And, whatever you do, don’t throw those grounds out once you have used them for making coffee tea! Even though you have taken some their nutrition out, they are still wonderful for powering up your compost pile. See: How To Compost Like A Pro)

Here is to energizing your houseplants with coffee grounds!

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How to Reuse Coffee Grounds to Fertilize Houseplants

There are two types of grounds to consider for use with your plants: fresh coffee grounds or used coffee grounds. Fresh grounds are ground-up coffee beans that haven’t been used to brew coffee yet, while used coffee grounds are what’s left over after your coffee has been made.

When considering using coffee grounds to fertilize your houseplants, we recommend sticking with used coffee grounds. This is because fresh grounds can be high in acidity and caffeine, which can have a negative impact on your houseplants. There are a select few plants that can benefit from fresh grounds—including acidity-loving Hydrangeas, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Lily of the Valley, blueberries, carrots, and radishes—but generally, most common houseplants will prefer low to no acidity.

There is a lot of conflicting information online on how to repurpose used coffee grounds into fertilizer. The most accepted method, which we also recommend as the best for your plants, is adding the used grounds to your compost.

To get started, add the used coffee grounds to your compost pile, which usually consists of vegetable peels, fruit skins, and other types of natural waste. When your compost is ready, mix a small amount of it with potting soil and distribute among your plants.

Depending on what was in your compost mix, be cautious of how much compost you use. Excessive amounts of compost or coffee grounds can lead to foliage burn and nutrient toxicity. Just like with store-bought fertilizer, a little goes a long way. Compost is filled with rich, organic matter and naturally retains water, so not only will you want to be mindful of how much you mix in your potting soil, but you will also want to be mindful of how often you water your plant potted in it. If you are keen on adding compost to your potting soil for the nutrients, consider also adding coarse sand or perlite to the potting mix to help decrease the risk of overwatering.

If you do not compost at home, you can create a liquid fertilizer with your used coffee grounds instead. The key to using used coffee grounds as a liquid fertilizer is dilution! Too much of a good thing is possible, particularly for plants potted in containers. 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.

Another way to recycle leftover used coffee grounds is sprinkling them on top of your potting soil. If you plan to test out this method, do so sparingly. Avoid creating a thick layer. Used (and fresh) grounds can lock together and create a barrier to water penetration and air circulation.

5. Don’t forget other nutrients your plants might need.

Reusing used coffee grounds is a fun, free way to fertilizer your houseplants, however, it most likely will not provide your plants with all the nutrients they need. You can add additional nutrients by using a premade houseplant fertilizer or repotting your plant with fresh potting mix.

6. Recycle used coffee grounds in other ways.

You may want to test fertilizing plants with and without used coffee grounds. If you aren’t getting the results you hoped for, skip the grounds. Instead, you can recycle used coffee grounds to create a natural cleaning scrub or skin exfoliator.

Coffee grounds as a fertilizer - for which plants to use

After drinking this drink, we usually throw the grounds in the trash, which is a mistake, because they can be very useful. Coffee can invigorate us and strengthen plants, as a natural fertilizer, it can be used to fight pests or prepare a precious substrate rich in minerals. We will tell you how to use coffee grounds as a fertilizer - for which plants it is useful and when it can harm.

Contents

1. Why is coffee useful?
2. What is in coffee?
3. Which plants benefit from coffee?
4. Used
5. Mulching
6. For irrigation
7. for compost
8. Improvement of soil before planting
9. To scruce insects
10. Cat Frightier
11. that you need to remember
,
12. Why do not use coffee coffee? What is the useful coffee?

    When growing plants, we usually buy fertilizer to feed them, considering this the best solution. Ready preparations have a well-balanced composition, are easy to use, but they can change the quality of the soil, lead to salinization of the soil and the destruction of beneficial organisms that live in it. A safer solution would be to use natural fertilizers. It is more difficult to overdose them, and they are also not harmful to the soil and microorganisms living in it.

    What is in coffee?

    Coffee grounds contain useful substances, valuable trace elements important for the proper development of plants:

    • Phosphorus - affects the proper development of the root system, stimulates flowering, fruiting, seed formation. Improves soil quality.
    • Magnesium is a building block of chlorophyll (green parts of the plant). The trace element is crucial for photosynthesis and the absorption of solar energy by flowers. Signs of magnesium deficiency are yellow, rusty spots on the leaves, slow development of young leaves.
    • Potassium - especially important for young seedlings, stimulates growth, affects flowering, stimulates the formation of new shoots. The macroelement supports the rational use of water in the plant, the correct course of metabolic processes. Potassium improves resistance to stress factors (frequent changes in temperature, air humidity, drought, diseases, especially fungal ones). Without potassium, flowers cannot develop normally and often become stunted.
    • Nitrogen compounds - support the proper development and growth of plants, regulate the consumption of other macronutrients (phosphorus, potassium), improve the condition and appearance of flowers. Symptoms of nitrogen deficiency - faded color of stems, leaves, slow or inhibited growth of aboveground and underground parts, chlorosis (yellowing of leaves).

    Substances from coffee residues are released relatively slowly, making them a long-lasting natural fertilizer. Therefore, you can use ground coffee as a long-acting fertilizer for indoor and garden plants.

    Other benefits of grounds:

    • Ground mixed with coffee grounds is appreciated by acidophilic plants (which like soils with an acidic pH).
    • Coffee residue in the garden can neutralize excess calcium from tap water.
    • Excellent loosening of the soil, reducing its tendency to dry out.

    Which plants benefit from coffee?

    Coffee grounds have a slightly acidic pH, making them ideal as a fertilizer for acid-loving houseplants and acidophilic garden plants.

    Help. Acidophilic plants are those that grow in acidic soils.

    Garden plants that love acidic soil include:

    • hydrangeas;
    • heathers;
    • ferns;
    • erica;
    • rhododendrons;
    • sorrel;
    • cranberry;
    • blueberry;
    • mosses;
    • certain azaleas, vegetables, eg tomatoes;
    • strawberries.

    Which potted flowers like acidic soil:

    • fern;
    • anthurium;
    • camellia;
    • begonia;
    • jasmine gardenia;
    • caladium;
    • spathiphyllum;
    • codium;
    • saintpaulia;
    • profusely flowering stephanotis.

    Uses

    Grounds can be used in several ways. It should not contain sugar, milk, other additives, have signs of mold, an unpleasant odor.

    Mulching

    The easiest way to use coffee pomace in the garden is to add it to the soil. You can mix it with the top layer of soil and use it as a substrate for planted flowers. The content of grounds in such a mixture should be no more than 20-25%.

    Fresh grounds can be scattered around the plants immediately after mixing with the soil. You can dry it and use it in the garden at any time as a mulch.

    Horticultural crops need nitrogen to absorb certain nutrients faster. Unfortunately, the soil is sometimes poor in this element. Coffee can help, there's a lot of nitrogen in the thick and it doesn't release very quickly. For this reason, it is recommended to use coffee mulch before watering or raining, by sprinkling the grounds on flowers or bushes, and then wetting the ground. During evaporation, the plants will receive the desired ingredient.

    Attention! It is advisable to cover the thick with pine bark or other mulch on top, because it is light and sometimes blown away by the wind.

    Grounds are also suitable for mulching potted plants. However, it is necessary to mix it with the top layer of the earth, otherwise it will quickly become moldy and become unusable.

    For irrigation

    Coffee grounds are also a good source of nutrients as a fertilizer for the garden. Thick water is well suited for watering horticultural crops. It contains many minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus. You just need to remember to respect the proportions, because flowers and bushes do not need to be filled with coffee suspension.

    Infusion ratio for indoor and garden plants:

    • For garden plants. Dilute 1 glass of grounds per 20 liters of water. With this infusion, acidophilic cultures can be watered every 7-14 days.
    • For potted flowers - lovers of an acidic or slightly acidic substrate, a similar coffee infusion can be prepared by pouring a tablespoon of grounds into 0.5 liters of water. After mixing the grounds with water, wait until it swells. When this happens, you can water the flowers with the mixture.

    For compost

    In some countries there are specialized companies that collect used coffee grounds from offices, bars, restaurants and other establishments to compost them and use them as a substrate additive.

    It's worth taking a cue from them and adding grounds to the compost. Thanks to the thicker soil, it will be enriched with additional nutrients, and it will quickly acquire the desired consistency. Due to the content of nitrogen and other minerals, the grounds will become a valuable component that improves the structure and nutritional value of the compost. Improved compost will allow horticultural crops to grow better, more luxuriantly.

    The smell of coffee will attract earthworms, which accelerate the processing of organic matter and the formation of humus.

    There is no need to be afraid that the compost with the addition of coffee will become too acidic, because:

    • firstly, there is not too much thick;
    • secondly, the reaction of coffee differs according to different sources, it can be acidic and neutral, so it can hardly affect the pH of the entire compost.

    Soil improvement before planting

    A good option is to fertilize the soil with coffee grounds. Make it simple. Dig a hole 15-20 centimeters deep and add 1 cup of coffee to it, lightly sprinkle with earth, mix, then completely cover with earth. Seedlings planted in such fertilized soil will be distinguished by good growth and health.

    We proceed in the same way when planting indoor flowers, add thickening to the soil.

    Insect repellent

    Using coffee grounds will help repel some insects:

    1. Ant control . Just sprinkle it in small portions in places where insects appear to get rid of ants. Waste from an automatic or semi-automatic coffee machine can also be used to repel ants.
    2. Aphid control . Aphids can cover all stems, leaves, severely damaging the plant. If we do not want to use strong artificial aphids, we can choose natural substitutes. Coffee residue can be spread around the stems on the soil. To them it is worth adding a little chopped garlic, onion. This will maintain the pesticidal properties. To enhance the effect of thick, you can prepare an infusion of thick and garlic (onions): mix 2 teaspoons of thick with 2 cups of water and a small amount of onion-garlic broth or juice. We spray the plant with the resulting preparation.

    Cat Repeller

    If cats like certain garden plants, start watering them with coffee residue. You can also add a few orange peels to it. Plants will not be harmed because coffee is also a great fertilizer and cats will definitely avoid such places.

    Things to remember

    When growing crops in the garden, you should not rely solely on the use of coffee grounds as the only fertilizer, as their composition is not particularly rich in nutrients.

    Thickness is also not able to greatly change the reaction of the soil, unlike preparations and specialized fertilizers (for example, ammonium sulfate).

    However, it will help:

    1. maintain soil acidity;
    2. will enrich the soil with nitrogen, minerals;
    3. will improve its structure (thickness is light, loose, therefore loosens the soil, increases its absorbency).

    The grounds are also useful as an additive to the substrate for potted flowers. It is enough to add a few teaspoons of thick to a small pot to improve the structure of the substrate, make it more absorbent, better aerated.

    What not to use coffee for

    Unfortunately, despite the many benefits, coffee is not quite perfect:

    1. Various studies have found that coffee grounds inhibit the growth and development of seedlings and seed germination.
    2. Coffee is blamed for the caffeine contained in it, which has all the allelopathic properties in relation to seeds and seedlings. Do not use it for cuttings, growing seedlings. Sometimes coffee is bad for the growth of certain plant species (such as Tradescantia), so use it in moderation and see how the plants react.

    Help. Allelopathy (Greek allelon - mutual and pathos - suffering) - the harmful effect of chemicals released by plants or fungi of a given species or obtained as a result of the decomposition of these plants or fungi. Allelopathy is mainly related to chemicals released into the environment that affect the growth of other organisms, mainly plants and bacteria. Substances can inhibit the germination, growth and development of other plant species living in the immediate vicinity.

    3. Do not abuse coffee dressings for plants that like alkaline soil. These include:
       • lavender;
       • thyme;
       • oregano;
       • grapes;
       • snapdragon;
       • oleander;
       • bougainvillea;
       • Carolina yucca.

    Never go overboard with grounds. Of course, it will not completely replace specialized fertilizers - it does not contain all the ingredients needed by plants.

    Coffee grounds can have many useful uses in the home. In a pot, garden, it becomes an excellent fertilizer for flowers and other plants. Since it absorbs odors, it will also freshen the air in the apartment a little. So let's not treat the thick as waste - it will become a valuable environmental fertilizer. It can be used as an extended life organic fertilizer, mulch, compost, substrate or repellant.

    Coffee grounds as houseplant fertilizer

    Feeding is important to ensure that plants with cramped root systems receive all the necessary nutrients for health and lush growth. But it is not necessary to buy expensive bottles with mineral compositions in stores. A thick layer of dormant coffee can be an excellent fertilizer for houseplants.

    Pixabay

    Coffee grounds are an excellent fertilizer for houseplants. Due to the high content of minerals in the composition, they are effectively used for feeding domestic plants.

    Contents of the article

    Coffee grounds contain many minerals useful for plants. It belongs to organic top dressing, the result after its application will not be soon, the thick slowly gives the plants and soil its beneficial properties.

    If you regularly use coffee fertilizer for indoor plants, then chemical top dressing will not be needed at all.

    Useful properties of coffee grounds for indoor plants

    Useful properties of coffee grounds for indoor plants are due to the content of the drink, fertilizing the soil with it can reduce the acidity of the soil, make it light and moisture permeable.

    ADVERTISING - CONTINUED BELOW

    The percentage of nitrogen in coffee grounds reaches 1.5%, the same amount is found in rotted grass. Phosphorus It accelerates the formation of ovaries, improves flowering and development of the root system, and ripening of fruits.

13. Nitrogen. The substance is used to stimulate the growth and development of the plant.
14. Calcium provides nutrition and normal development of the roots, stems and leaves of the plant.
15. Potassium gives flowers and plants frost resistance. Due to it, they perfectly tolerate winter and demonstrate resistance to various pests.

In addition to these trace elements, coffee contains copper, iron, carbohydrates and many other trace elements.

The most important benefits of coffee grounds are:

• Increased soil acidity. This fact is especially important for plants that love its high content.
• Good aeration. When coffee grounds are added to the ground, oxygen penetration to the horses improves, and loosening of the areas around the plants is also facilitated.
• Pest repellent. The smell of coffee can repel certain insects, including the fruit fly.

How to prepare coffee grounds for houseplants

Coffee pomace can be used as top dressing or soil preparation, in any case, adding it to the soil will benefit the plant, but you need to do it correctly.

You can't do without preliminary preparation of coffee residues:

• For flowers, only dormant coffee is used, ground fresh coffee is not suitable.
• It is necessary to collect raw materials for fertilizer after each cup of coffee drunk, and not to put it off for later, otherwise the thick will rot.
• Coffee grounds can be dried on paper or in an oven to a loose state.
• For those who decide to use the grounds as fertilizer, it is not necessary to dry it, just pour it wet into a watering can and pour it over the flowers that need to be fed.
• Store dried coffee grounds in a closed jar in a dry place.

Interesting! Abroad, restaurants and cafes display coffee residues taken from coffee machines on a separate table with a special mark "for fertilizer". You can take several such packages at the same time, provided that you are a visitor to the establishment.

Which plants can use coffee grounds

Some houseplants will be particularly grateful for leftover coffee, these examples include:

• roses;
• begonias;
• azaleas;
• ferns.

• begonias;

• violets;

• poinsettias.

Other domestic flowers will also be happy with this top dressing, only it needs to be introduced at a certain time and in small quantities.

To find out exactly which flowers will benefit from coffee top dressing, you should study their relationship to high soil acidity.

Coffee grounds should be used carefully, but do not be afraid to experiment, because this type of fertilizer can change the color of the buds, which can give the most unpredictable results. The composition of the fertilizer is rich in nutrients, but it should be used wisely.

Coffee fertilizer is applied to outdoor flower beds from March to April, focusing on the development of shoots. Re-feeding is carried out every 2-3 weeks until the onset of warming.

Coffee pomace can be used in the rose garden as a universal remedy. It is used to protect rose bushes from snails, midges and ants, for this a solution is prepared, which is sprayed on the entire plant.

Flying insects, such as Bronzewort, when regularly settled, significantly impair the decorative qualities of the flower, after coffee spraying, it will fly around the bush, as it does not tolerate the coffee smell.

After adding coffee grounds to the soil, it becomes easier to loosen and allow air to enter. The content of the cake nourishes the roots and stems of roses, helps accelerate the growth of basal shoots.

But you just need to take into account that coffee additions can affect the color of the flower, so pink flowers often change their color to purple after such a regular addition.

Coffee fertilizers will also be useful for variegated plants. They will develop much faster than their unfed counterparts, besides, the contrast of leaf colors is significantly enhanced, which improves their decorative effect.

For peonies, tulips and lilies, used coffee is used in the fight against slugs that eat their bulbs.

Methods of using coffee grounds for indoor plants

There are several methods of applying this fertilizer, it is used in different areas of floriculture:

• As an additional drainage layer, the bottom of the pots is filled with cake.
• Top dressing can be carried out with a prepared solution, for it you need to dilute 1 tsp in 1 liter of water. coffee grounds.
• Rich top dressing applied before flowering. Contains 1 part of coffee and 0.5 parts of crushed dry leaves and straw. They are mixed and left to rot in a saucepan, to speed up the process, the mixture is sprinkled with a small layer of soil, and several holes are made in it. After a month, top dressing can be used, put into pots and added to flower beds.
• As a dry fertilizer, the dried coffee residues are poured into the pots from above, sprinkled over the sprouts. Coffee grounds should be stored in glassware, tin or plastic containers to prevent moisture from getting into it.
• When transplanting and planting a plant, you can add coffee to the soil mixture, it should be taken no more than 10% of the total soil volume.
• Coffee pomace is poured over diseased plants to neutralize the action of pests or themselves if they cannot tolerate its smell.

Possible mistakes when using coffee grounds in floriculture

Most housewives do not even suspect that the remains of their favorite flavored drink can be used as fertilizer for equally beloved indoor plants.

The use of such raw materials will not only save money, but also be extremely effective. However, to achieve the optimal result, some recommendations and dosages should be followed.

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