Yes, succulents love coffee grounds! Coffee is acidic, and succulents thrive in acidic soil. Coffee grounds also contain several essential nutrients that succulents need to grow, such as magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen. Coffee grounds can also keep pests and weeds away, as well as aid in draining and aerating the soil.
What are the nutrients that can be found in coffee?
Brewed coffee contains both magnesium and potassium. Coffee grounds are also essentially 2% nitrogen, which makes them a great addition to any compost pile. These three nutrients are vital to your succulent’s growth, especially when they are still little buds.
Your succulents need these three so much that if they do not get enough of one, their leaves will become pale and their growth may be stunted.
Providing these essential nutrients is important, especially if your succulents are in small pots or in driftwood planters. When succulents are planted in a container, they will eventually use up all of the macronutrients available in their soil, so you have to refill their supply of nutrients to keep them healthy. You do this by putting fertilizer into the soil.
Is coffee too acidic for my succulents?
No; succulents grow better in soil that is slightly acidic. Succulents prefer an environment that is between pH levels 5.8 to 7. Because water is more basic with a pH level of 8, whenever you water your plants, you are elevating the pH of the soil around them.
You can counteract this effect by using coffee grounds as a fertilizer. By adding the acidic coffee grounds, you are pulling back the pH to levels that your succulent actually likes.
People who have tried using coffee grounds as fertilizer have reported that their succulents are healthier and their flowers bloomed more frequently than they had before.
Can I use coffee grounds on my potted succulents?
In the case of potted succulents, mixing coffee grounds into their soil is not as effective as putting it in the soil in your outdoor garden. This is because pots do not have the microbes that are able to break down the coffee grounds mixed into the soil. But this does not mean that you cannot use the grounds on potted plants.
You still can– you still need to brew the grounds into coffee and dilute it with water.
You can even use your least favorite coffee, so you will not feel guilty just dumping it on your plants. Brew the coffee and add in an equal amount of water. Place it inside a spray bottle and spray it on your potted succulents.
Note any differences in the succulents after a few weeks of using the coffee spray. If you think your plants like it, then continue to do so.
How do I use coffee grounds in my garden?
As mentioned above, coffee grounds will have no effect on potted plants, but they will definitely help out the succulents planted in your outdoor garden. You can use the coffee grounds by sprinkling them or mixing them directly into the soil in your garden.
Because your garden soil has plenty of microbes, it can break down the coffee grounds and release the nitrogen. This will help enrich the soil, while the texture of the coffee grounds will help keep the soil porous and aerated. Some studies even show that the coffee grounds help keep both pests and weeds away from your succulents.
Only use coffee grounds, meaning the dregs that are left after brewing the coffee. Putting unbrewed coffee directly into your soil will place too much caffeine in it, which is not good for the plants. Brewed coffee grounds have already had most of the caffeine removed and are safer to use on your plants. A light roast coffee is always a good choice.
How do I use coffee grounds as fertilizer?
Add them to the compost
One of the best ways to use coffee as fertilizer is to add the coffee grounds to your compost pile, then wait until the compost is ready to use. The high nitrogen content will balance out the other components of the compost pile. The microbes and the earthworms will ingest the coffee in the soil and produce even richer compost material.
Apply the compost as fertilizer while repotting your succulents, or simply apply a layer of it at the top of the soil. Make sure you do not place too much compost on your potted succulents, as it may result in foliage burn or even nutrient poisoning. Do not place more than an inch thick layer of the compost on the potted plant.
Add the grounds directly into the soil
When you are planning to plant succulents in a plot of soil in your garden, sprinkle some coffee grounds on the area first and mix them in evenly. Aerate the soil by agitating it with a trowel. When the soil is loose and airy, plant the succulents. The coffee grounds in the soil will help drain the water on the succulents properly, as well as keeping the soil around the plants aerated.
Conclusion
Yes, succulents like coffee grounds because they provide essential nutrients to the soil around the succulent. These nutrients are magnesium, potassium, and nitrogen. Coffee grounds also help keep the pH level of the soil around the succulents at an ideal 5.8 to 7.
Potted plants prefer being sprayed with the liquid from coffee grounds that have been brewed a second time, while succulents in your outdoor garden prefer the coffee grounds mixed directly into the soil they are planted in.
Aside from the nutrients coffee grounds replenish, they also help in aerating the soil and draining water properly.
Image: istockphoto.com / JatmikaVision