Why do plants need fertilizer at all?
Can coffee grounds be used as fertilizer? In our article, we will answer exactly this question and show you that coffee grounds are a very special home remedy for fertilizing. We want to clarify with you the advantages of fertilizing with coffee grounds and how nutrient-rich it is for your indoor plants. We also have brief instructions for you on how to use this home remedy when fertilizing.
If you have plants in your home, then you probably fertilize them regularly without giving much thought to why you are doing it. Why do you actually supply them with fertilizer every month or more often? What do you give your plant that it cannot filter out of the ground or out of the air?
First and foremost, plants need nutrients and water from the soil for healthy growth. The minerals in the soil serve as important nutrients for the plant to develop. The most important include:
Nitrogen: With the help of the element nitrogen, the plant can form proteins and the components of chlorophyll
Phosphate: the amount of phosphate controls flowering
Potassium: the element is important for the water balance of the plant
Magnesium: In addition to nitrogen, magnesium is also a component of chlorophyll
Sulphur: the element sulfur is responsible for building protein and forming carbohydrates
The plant would not be itself without its nutrients
Like we need to eat our food, the plant needs to absorb nutrients from the soil in order to survive. If the existing nutrients are in a certain ratio to each other, then this is the basis for optimal plant growth.
Malnutrition occurs when the elements of the plant are not sufficiently available. In the worst case, the plant will even die. Of course it shouldn't come to that!
In addition to promoting growth, the nutrients also strengthen the plant in its own resilience. In this way, your houseplant can protect itself against plant pests.
What are the benefits of using coffee grounds as fertilizer?
As a household remedy, coffee grounds are particularly suitable as fertilizer for your houseplants. It naturally brings some benefits that your plant can benefit from. A positive property of coffee, for example, is that it contains the elements phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. The plant uses these as nutrients for its development.
In addition, the smell of the ingredients in coffee grounds keeps some plant pests away. Fertilizing with coffee grounds is a great alternative to chemical fertilizers, which can often damage the plant if used incorrectly.
Coffee acts as a natural pesticide
Due to its nutrient-rich natural ingredients, coffee acts as a perfect pesticide in your home. You should always choose home remedies over chemical ones to protect your plants anyway.
Even if you don't have a green thumb, you really can't go wrong when fertilizing with coffee grounds. Over-fertilization with coffee is almost impossible and can therefore be used in every home.
You can drive away plant pests such as ants very well with coffee grounds. You simply put a bit of coffee grounds on the existing ant nests and you will soon notice that the little creatures no longer bother you and therefore do not damage your plants.
How often do I need to use the coffee grounds fertilizer?
How often you use the fertilizer depends primarily on which of your plants you want to fertilize. In any case, don't fertilize too often.
Tip: During the growing season in spring you can use coffee grounds as fertilizer for your plants once a month. You can also use less fertilizer in winter. But as I said, it is difficult to overfeed a plant with coffee grounds, as is often the case with chemical fertilizers. For this reason alone, coffee is very well suited.
Coffee grounds as fertilizer for which plants?
Depending on the type of plant, the coffee grounds are sometimes more or less suitable as fertilizer. Due to its relatively low pH value, plants that can grow well in acidic soil are also more suitable, as coffee reduces the pH value in the soil. Plants such as cacti or some orchid species are less suitable.
Tip: If you are not sure, you should work a little coffee grounds powder into the soil and observe the reaction of your plant. If it changes negatively, stop fertilizing it with coffee grounds.
A little guide: Five steps to fertilize with coffee grounds
Finally, we would like to give you a short guide on how best to fertilize your plants with coffee grounds:
- First of all, you should always let the coffee grounds cool down and dry out a bit. In this way, the damp coffee grounds can easily lose their moisture and do not immediately start to mold.
- Put the coffee into the potting soil in small portions. This also prevents mold growth. So that it mixes well with the earth, you can use a fork to fold it in.
- You can also put the coffee grounds in a watering can full of water. It also spreads out well. But always try to spread the water around the trunk and on the ground so that the leaves of the plant are not affected.
- Don't fertilize your houseplants too often with coffee grounds. The rule of thumb here is: Less is more!
- Benefit: Coffee grounds keep ants away from your plants as they hate the smell.
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