Coffee Grounds in the Soil for House Plants.
- Thread starter Turk
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I've done it for years with mixed results. It does increase soil acidity so occasionally you should add some Garden Lime depending upon what your plant needs. I also add my crushed egg shells. The only thing I grow is peppers, tomatoes & squash.
My wife puts coffee grounds and crushed eggshells in our outdoor garden, not with house plants. Can't really tell if it is beneficial or not.
It has worked for me. It seems to prevent bugs. I had a globe plant last year that was fantastic. But actually your results may vary
I owned a landscaping company for 8 years. One of my customers was a small business on a main road. He routinely had random people stop at his office because the azaleas out front had more blooms than anyone could imagine. Every day the office lady took the coffee grounds and put them around one of the bushes.
The greenhouse industry around here uses Coco Peat as media to grow tomatoes etc.
My wife uses worms for composting. Worms LOVE coffee grounds. I guess it helps them get going in the morning, too.
I use them outdoors on a potted rose bush. Helps counter alkaline soil and water as roses, along with azaleas (sp?), boogenvillias (sp?), etc prefer acidic conditions.
Originally Posted By: volk06
We use them outside. Put them around your rose bushes and they'll be the talk of the neighborhood. Also helps keep pest out of our garden.
I saw the same thing too.
Many coffee chains/stores now save coffee ground in 5-10lb bags to give to anyone to use as fertilizer.
We use them outside. Put them around your rose bushes and they'll be the talk of the neighborhood. Also helps keep pest out of our garden.
I saw the same thing too.
Many coffee chains/stores now save coffee ground in 5-10lb bags to give to anyone to use as fertilizer.
JHZR2
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I don't put them in our house plants. I do dump them out in our garden for self composting. We have a large, nearly self sufficient garden, so I throw/bury all kinds of scraps of clean plant based product out there.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I don't put them in our house plants. I do dump them out in our garden for self composting. We have a large, nearly self sufficient garden, so I throw/bury all kinds of scraps of clean plant based product out there.
Are you saying that you mix pre-decomposed organic matter in the soil rather than composting in a bin and then mixing the compost into the soil? I may give that a try.
I don't put them in our house plants. I do dump them out in our garden for self composting. We have a large, nearly self sufficient garden, so I throw/bury all kinds of scraps of clean plant based product out there.
Are you saying that you mix pre-decomposed organic matter in the soil rather than composting in a bin and then mixing the compost into the soil? I may give that a try.
I toss the grounds out on my lawn. Don't know if any good it does to grass, but I heard it helps the soil. I hasn't hurt it any so I'll keep at it.
Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I don't put them in our house plants. I do dump them out in our garden for self composting. We have a large, nearly self sufficient garden, so I throw/bury all kinds of scraps of clean plant based product out there.
Are you saying that you mix pre-decomposed organic matter in the soil rather than composting in a bin and then mixing the compost into the soil? I may give that a try.
One of my more successful attempts in the garden was to get a small 4gal(ish) flip top plastic bin, cut the bottom from it, and using a holesaw, cut a heap of holes 2-3" diameter around the vertical base.
It's about 1 shovel wide.
Dig a square hole, up the the upper flange deep, put the flip top lid on, and tip vegetable scraps, peanut shells, tea leaves/bags into it. Poke well as filling.
Then when it's a couple of inches from the soil level, grab the bin, pull it out, dig a new hole and using the soil from the new hole, cover over.
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I don't put them in our house plants. I do dump them out in our garden for self composting. We have a large, nearly self sufficient garden, so I throw/bury all kinds of scraps of clean plant based product out there.
Are you saying that you mix pre-decomposed organic matter in the soil rather than composting in a bin and then mixing the compost into the soil? I may give that a try.
One of my more successful attempts in the garden was to get a small 4gal(ish) flip top plastic bin, cut the bottom from it, and using a holesaw, cut a heap of holes 2-3" diameter around the vertical base.
It's about 1 shovel wide.
Dig a square hole, up the the upper flange deep, put the flip top lid on, and tip vegetable scraps, peanut shells, tea leaves/bags into it. Poke well as filling.
Then when it's a couple of inches from the soil level, grab the bin, pull it out, dig a new hole and using the soil from the new hole, cover over.
I use 20 litre plastic oil drums - cut the bottom out and put in the ground. I have a 3 layer worm farm, but it can't keep up with our family, so have 3 oil drums in the gardens, one is just for onions and citrus.
Some gas stations have bags of coffee grounds free for the taking. If I fuel up and see them they are gone.
Some gas stations have bags of coffee grounds free for the taking. If I fuel up and see them they are gone.
Originally Posted By: Turk
Do you mix in used Coffee Grounds in the soil for your House Plants?
Have you seen a shift in growth using them?
If you mix the grounds with the soil, won't the grounds rob the soil of nitrogen? If you sprinkle the grounds instead over the surface, the grounds will scavange the nitrogen required for decomposition from the air instead, I think.
hotwheels
Do you mix in used Coffee Grounds in the soil for your House Plants?
Have you seen a shift in growth using them?
If you mix the grounds with the soil, won't the grounds rob the soil of nitrogen? If you sprinkle the grounds instead over the surface, the grounds will scavange the nitrogen required for decomposition from the air instead, I think.
hotwheels
Hotwheels,
I agree with you.
But I've got a couple of beds of Hugelculture going for giggles, and one is growing tomatoes and strawberries at a prodigious rate.
Other is a bit "new" and not growing well, but should be weathered in a bit next season.
The decomposing wood should be nitrogen stripping, but seems to have other benefits.
I agree with you.
But I've got a couple of beds of Hugelculture going for giggles, and one is growing tomatoes and strawberries at a prodigious rate.
Other is a bit "new" and not growing well, but should be weathered in a bit next season.
The decomposing wood should be nitrogen stripping, but seems to have other benefits.
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