People love drinking coffee because of the various benefits it gives to the body like stress relief, increased energy, and reduction of fatigue.
Did you know that there are plants that also love coffee grounds? Just like humans, plants (especially houseplants) love these coffee dregs because of the various nutrients they supply to the plants.
In this article, we are going to discuss plants that love coffee grounds and how these coffee grounds can be beneficial to our plants.
Coffee Grounds used by plants can be divided into two categories; used coffee which is the end product of already composted coffee grounds and raw coffee grounds which are fresh leftover coffee grounds. Both categories of coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer in plants.
List Of Plants That Love Coffee Grounds
As an essential source of minerals, certain plants love coffee grounds because of the nutrients they provide to the soil and plants in general.
Coffee Grounds are also affordable and provide the soil with organic material needed for growth and development. Plants that love coffee grounds are divided into 4 categories:
- Edible plants and vegetables (berries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, radishes, pepper and broccoli).
- Flowers(Japanese iris, camellias, daffodils, roses, lilies and trilliums).
- Trees (pin oak, beech, magnolia and willow oak)
Shrubs(holly, azaleas gardenias, and rhododendrons).
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1. Edible Plants And Vegetables
Some plants and edible vegetables grow more in soil that has coffee grounds, plants under this category include:
- Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are acidic plants that benefit when coffee grounds are used on them. Sweet potatoes can be grown both in your outdoor garden and indoor garden. Sprinkle a solution of coffee on sweet potatoes’ soil to enhance their growth and fruit.
- Tomatoes
Coffee grounds supply tomatoes with nitrogen which improves the development of strong and healthy roots with increased chlorophyll formation. Tomatoes need already used coffee grounds and not fresh coffee grounds, this is because fresh coffee grounds are too acidic for the soil and may affect the roots.
- Broccoli
Broccoli is a vegetable that offers vitamins such as vitamins A, C, B1, and K and is grown all year round. The addition of coffee grounds in broccoli will enhance the nutrients found in the vegetable.
2. Flowers
Let’s consider some flowers that love coffee grounds :
- Roses
Roses love when coffee grounds are added to it, they invite worms that aerate the soil which allows the roots to grow deeper, it also helps to improve soil quality. However, excess coffee grounds on roses can cause the flowers to burn or kill the roots.
- Trilliums
Trillium flowers will bloom nicely when the soil is acidic, moist, well-draining, and organic. All these requirements are what coffee grounds supply when added to trillions.
- Daffodils
Applying coffee grounds on daffodils will help improve water retention, soil drainage, and air circulation in the soil. This will help the trumpet Narcissus to flourish bountifully.
- Japanese Iris
This type of flower thrives more in swampy areas with acidic poor draining soils. To keep the ph level at bay, add some coffee grounds to it.
3. Shrubs And Trees
Generally, most trees and shrubs love coffee grounds because these trees and shrubs thrive well in acidic soil which is what coffee grounds supply to the trees.
Benefits Of Coffee Grounds On The Plants
1. They Serve As Mulch
You can use coffee grounds as mulch as they are beneficial to plants. Coffee grounds should be added to the plants with care because if they are not handled properly they can be harmful to the plants. Always mix coffee grounds with other materials to achieve a beneficial mulch because if added directly to the soil, they could lead to stunted growth of the plants.
2. They Are Used As Natural Pesticides
Coffee grounds contain certain toxic compounds, they include diterpenes and caffeine that repulse insects and pests.
The rough grain of coffee grounds keeps away pests especially slugs and ants from attacking the plant.
To use coffee grounds as a natural pesticide; sprinkle them in the garden around the plants or set them in a container and place them in outdoor areas.
3. They Are Used As Organic Fertilisers
Coffee grounds contain some essential elements like nitrogen, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. These are elements needed by most plants.
When plants grow, they consume these nutrients and if they are not replaced, the plant will deplete. Coffee grounds are used to replace these nutrients lost by the plants.
What Houseplants Love Coffee Grounds?
Most house plants need foods rich in nitrogen content, sometimes it is difficult or expensive to purchase these fertilisers.
Coffee grounds are organic fertilisers that can be found in most homes are a source of nitrogen and other elements for house plants.
Some types of houseplants that love coffee grounds are:
- Jade plants
- Snake plant
- Rhododendron
- Christmas cactus
- Miniature roses
- Golden pothos and
- Cyclamen.
Which Plants Do Not Like Used Coffee Grounds?
Sometimes the grounds can be too acidic for coffee grounds to be used directly on the soil, even for plants that love acid-like blueberries, azaleas, and hollies. Coffee grounds restrict the growth of some plants, including
- Geranium
- asparagus fern
- Chinese mustard
- Italian ryegrass
Can I Water My Plants With Leftover Coffee?
Coffee has a pH of 5.2-6.9 depending on the variety and mode of preparation. If the pH is low, it will be more acidic; in other words, coffee is acidic. Most plants grow best in slightly acid to neutral pH (5.8 – 7). Therefore, using watery coffee for plants can boost the acidity of the soil.
Bearing this in mind, if you have leftover coffee grounds in your home, they can be put to good use by applying them as a fertilizer in any of the house plants listed above.
Doing this will reduce wastage, limit money spent on fertilizer and ensure that your plants grow well.
Have you ever tried using coffee grounds as plant foods? What was the outcome? Share your experience with us using the comment section below.
