Any coffee addict will know the fatal dread you feel every morning before you’ve brewed a cup of joe.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of your first coffee of the day and the real pick me up it gives you.
But what if you could give your plants that very same feeling, by watering them with diluted coffee?
Sound crazy? We thought so too. But just hear us out.
Using coffee as a fertiliser is not an especially new idea. Some gardeners have been using coffee grounds in their compost for decades. As the way coffee decomposes and mixes with other compounds in soil can create a highly nourishing environment for plants to grow.
Coffee grounds in themselves contain a percentage of nitrogen, an important component in the growing of plants.
And, when combined with other microorganisms, this nitrogen is released into the soil, ultimately aiding in killing weeds and pathogens that would otherwise impact the health of the plant.
But what about brewed coffee?
Well, brewed coffee actually contains a substantial level of magnesium and potassium, which are highly beneficial minerals for growing good quality plants, so it isn’t out of the question to think that watering your plants with coffee could give them a helping hand.
However, the way that you do it is important, as there are many elements of coffee brewing that could endanger the plant rather than helping it.
Not to worry though, we’ve noted down some of the key steps in watering your plants with coffee, to help you give your plants that well needed perk up.
Here are our handy dandy tips:
- Make sure there is nothing else added to your coffee:
Remember, you aren’t drinking it, the plants are. You may care for creamer and sugar but plants don’t need that. Just plain coffee and water will do quite nicely.
- Remember to dilute:
Coffee on its own is quite acidic, having an average pH of around 5, while tap water is ever so slightly alkaline sitting above a pH of 7. Make sure your coffee is well diluted before feeding it to the plants, so as not to create an overly acidic or alkaline environment. Most plants grow best in an acidic to neutral pH, so your standard mix of coffee and water will do the trick.
- Let it cool:
It likely goes without saying, but it is probably best not to water your plants with scalding hot water. Brew your coffee and while you drink your own, let the plant’s coffee cool, then once it is cold simply pour over your plants and wait for the magic to happen.
- Do your research:
While most plants do enjoy acidic soil, there are a few that don’t. A quick google search can upturn a list of plants and the soil that they prefer. If yours all happen to prefer alkaline soil, simply water with clean water and give them lots of sunlight.
- Don’t do it all the time:
Plants will sicken or die if their soil becomes too acidic, so there is no need to use coffee every time they need watered. Stick to watering with coffee once a month or every few weeks and keep an eye on the leaves, if the leaves go yellow it can signify too much acid. Should this happen, repot your plants into new clean soil and lessen the frequency of your fetilisation.
Coffee can work great as a natural fertiliser for plants, but remember to monitor closely so you don’t accidentally send them to the big garden centre in the sky!
Happy gardening!
Chloe Rose
New Food News
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