What House Plants Like Coffee Grounds: A Comprehensive Guide

As a coffee lover, you may be wondering if you can use coffee grounds as a natural fertilizer for your house plants. The answer is yes! Coffee grounds are an excellent way to improve the growth and health of your indoor garden, and they’re an environmentally friendly way to repurpose food waste. In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of coffee grounds as a soil amendment, the best way to use them, and a list of plants that benefit from coffee grounds.

Benefits of Coffee Grounds as a Soil Amendment

Coffee grounds are a great addition to your compost pile or as a direct soil amendment. They’re rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are essential for plant growth. Coffee grounds also contain organic matter, which improves soil structure, water retention, and aeration. When you add coffee grounds to the soil, they release nutrients slowly over time, providing a steady source of food for your plants.

Coffee grounds can also help to lower soil acidity, which is beneficial for acid-loving plants such as African violets, jade plants, and lily of the valley. The acidity of coffee grounds depends on the type of coffee and brewing method used. Black coffee is more acidic than coffee with milk or cream, and the longer the coffee is brewed, the more acidic it becomes.

Best Way to Use Coffee Grounds for House Plants

To use coffee grounds for your house plants, the best way is to add a small amount directly to the top of the soil, then work it into the soil with a fork or small trowel. A thin layer of coffee grounds will suffice. Alternatively, you can mix coffee grounds with potting soil or compost before planting. If you’re concerned about the acidity of the soil, you can use old coffee grounds, which have a lower acidity than fresh coffee grounds.

It’s important not to use too much coffee grounds, as this can cause fungal growth and weed growth. A teaspoon of coffee grounds per small plant is enough, and for larger plants, you can use up to a quarter cup. Be sure to water your plants after adding the coffee grounds, as they can absorb much water.

List of Plants That Benefit from Coffee Grounds

Many indoor and outdoor plants benefit from the use of coffee grounds. Here is a list of some of the plants that love coffee grounds:

1. African violets – These plants love acidic soil, and coffee grounds are a great source of acidity.
2. Jade plant – Coffee grounds provide an extra boost of nutrients that help promote plant growth.
3. Peace lilies – These plants thrive in bright light and benefit from the added nitrogen in coffee grounds.
4. Spider plant – Coffee grounds can help promote strong stems and healthy foliage.
5. Sansevieria trifasciata (snake plant) – Coffee grounds can help improve soil structure and water retention, which is beneficial for this plant.
6. Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) – Coffee grounds provide extra nitrogen, which helps promote healthy foliage.
7. Christmas cactus – These plants love acidic soil and can benefit from a small amount of coffee grounds.
8. Miniature roses – Coffee grounds can help promote pink flowers and strong stems.
9. Money plant – Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen, which helps promote healthy foliage.
10. Golden pothos – These plants love organic material, and coffee grounds are a great source of organic matter.

The Bottom Line

Using coffee grounds as a natural fertilizer is a good idea and a great way to repurpose food waste. Coffee grounds are a great source of nitrogen and organic matter, which are essential for plant growth.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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