Just as many of us feel the benefit of a timely drink of coffee, plants like coffee grounds, too! Coffee grounds can be given to plants in one of three ways – as a component of compost, as a mulch, or reduced in liquid form. In this list of houseplants that like coffee grounds, we’ll take a look at some common brew lovers.
Coffee grounds happen to be full of useful nutrients for plenty of different houseplants. Below, I’ve also made sure to run through a few tips on how to best feed them the good stuff. If you have any coffee dregs left over that are cool enough to share with your greenery, here are the specimens that are most likely going to benefit from the odd spot of Joe!
List of Houseplants That Like Coffee Grounds
Indoor Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Indoor holly plants are particularly impressive in autumn and winter seasons. In preparation for the extra demands on their system, they will thrive with a generous helping of nitrogen-rich coffee granules!
Aside from showing off superb, attractive glossy leaves and bold structures, holly flowers also produce berries. These will become more prolific with a fortnightly feed of diluted liquid coffee or mulch during the growing season.
Afterwards, as they become large, you may decide to plant them outdoors, too. A compost containing coffee granules will create a home from home!
Here’s a tip – when your holly plant becomes too large to keep indoors, snip off some branches from outside for an indoor display. Simply place them in diluted coffee from a residue of brewed granules – they should retain their form well. Coffee and houseplants can be a great match – and I’m just getting started.
Daffodils (Narcissus)
If you’re wondering which indoor plants like coffee grounds the most, you might overlook the daffy thanks to its status as an outdoor bloom. Becoming increasingly popular in indoor displays, daffodil bulbs should regenerate annually. If these become ‘blind’ (or, not producing flowers) chances are they are either overcrowded and competing for nutrients, or the growing medium is spent and they need nourishment. That’s where your coffee’s going to come in handy!
The nutrients in coffee grounds and a healthy change in the PH levels means good, strong leaves should be joined by healthy, vibrant flowers – it’s a real boost for the humble daffy. This may take several months to remedy but please don’t give up on your blooms!
Pop them to one side in a well lit, well-ventilated space, but not in full sun – you might want to take them outside temporarily. Feed them intermittently with coffee in plant soil, and return their pot indoors for a spectacular regenerated display.
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum aethiopicum)
This is a beautiful, delicate plant with a light, frivolous, lush and leafy green appearance on thin, wiry stems. A classy looking plant, they have graced parlours, dining rooms and halls for over a century!
However, looking so good is demanding on roots – and those of the maidenhair fern require gentle care, little and often. A diluted drink of coffee, from re-used grounds, really perks up this little jewel.
The risk here, however, is over-watering and over-concentration. Water into the saucer or container to ensure you give this plant a measured amount rather than a deluge!
Arum Lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica)
Often cultivated outdoors, arums are increasingly used indoors for dramatic displays. In the ground, their sizeable roots can probe further to hunt out helpful nutrients – pretty clever if you ask me!
However, when, housebound, these blooms rely on you to satisfy their needs. These beautiful flowering plants use the strength of stems to support large flowers. They thrive on the nutrients in the grounds, as a mulch or when composted.
Offering up a little coffee ground mix every now and again to these plants will likely do them a lot of good – don’t be afraid to give them a perk up from the percolator!
Azalea (Rhododendron)
These plants can be temperamental to handle, but by ticking all their boxes, you can achieve great results – they are amazingly rewarding to the eye. If you falter, however, this plant certainly lets you know! Leaves and/or flowers turn brown and fall, and flowers become smaller and fewer in number.
Experienced cultivators usually catch the problem before damage is done, but of course, prevention is better than cure! A sound routine of supplementing good compost with mulches of coffee grounds will deliver the nutrients this fabulous plant deserves!
Miniature Roses (Rosa chinensis minima)
As with azaleas, indoor gardeners fall into two camps with mini roses – success, or frustration! Miniature roses can perform splendidly if they have enough nitrogen, magnesium and phosphorus, and are not overwatered! Good, nutrient-rich compost is therefore essential to its success.
You may need to supplement any existing compost you receive with miniature roses to help them reach their full potential. Using coffee grounds as a mulch has the added benefit of deterring pests, too – white and green flies do not like coffee at all (to each their own!).
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum)
One of my personal favourites (which you’ll know if you read enough of my posts!), these stalwarts are usually reliable as standalone plants or will easily join others in a display. By receiving solid, regular nutrition, they will form strong leaves and produce miniature plants known as ‘spiderettes’ along a suspension stem.
If left attached to the mother plant, these form striking chandelier-like displays – and in hanging baskets, they can look especially fantastic! More spiderettes will, of course, mean extra demand for nutrients. Therefore, be sure to top them up with coffee grounds to keep them ticking over!
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
Hailing from Brazil, these attractive plants are structurally interesting all year round and then burst into flower – an amazing display! With attentive preparation for the flowering season, this reliable plant will reward you with an abundance of colour.
Simply by using composted coffee grounds as the growing medium, you can provide the PH level this plant craves. Also, watering little and often with diluted coffee granules, gives them an extra boost at no extra cost to you. Plus, despite the name, they can and will look great all year round!
Summary
Coffee isn’t just likely to give us a kick-start in the morning – it’s great for plenty of plants, too! If you own any of the above houseplants that like coffee grounds, you’ll be glad to hear that any leftover dregs will go down swimmingly – and may help your potted wonders persist for that little bit longer.
Save coffee grounds for houseplants, and you might just start noticing incredible new growth – but, as always, water and feed with care!
