Coffee for Fertilizer?

[James H]

I was wondering about the use of coffee as a possible fertilizer. It is used in some of my other plant hobbies in a very dilute form. Just wondering if anyone has used this and what your results were.

 

[GrimLore]

I was wondering about the use of coffee as a possible fertilizer.

Not as a fertilizer(I myself don't know of nutritional value in it for plants). I do know if your plant(s) in question like acidic substrate they could benefit from perhaps a diluted watering of it maybe bi-weekly... Really depends on the plants and substrate condition.

Grimmy

 

[James H]

Thanks Grimmy,
I have seen it used with carnivorous plants for nitrogen was the idea. I didn't know if anyone had tried this with some of our tropical species. I might have to try it with some ginseng ficus from my local Walmart.

 

[Anthony]

James,

Those organic fertilisers are really for the finished bonsai.

For trunk thickening, and branch placement, ground growing and inorganic fertilisers.

For example the NPK for oil seed cake is around 6.2.2 plus some micro nutrients.

However, please note the above is for un-composted meal, just often flour glued together and left to compost.

When something composts, the NPK starts to come out with each watering.
So the idea is to compost on top the soil as a cake.

If need be borrow or steal a copy of Rodale's Complete Composting book - See Amazon or Public library.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Carnivorous plants require very dilute fertilizer, or no fertilizer at all at the roots. I do have a beefy Nepenthes, and the only fertilizer I give it is a splash of my low dose fertilizer, but not to the roots, I splash a little into the pitchers when watering my other plants. As the pitchers are all hanging below its hanging pot, I can give a little to the pitchers without getting any in the media.

Coffee is too dilute to be of much use as a fertilizer. It does contain some organics, and caffeine. It is mildly acidic. The caffeine is a good slug repellent, though coffee is too dilute to effectively kill slugs, it may help to repel the slugs & snails.

Coffee grounds are often added to compost, and seem to help in making a nice compost. Oyster mushrooms can be grown on coffee grounds. Grounds are probably to fine in particle size to add to bonsai mix, They would "plug up" the air voids needed in a bonsai potting mix.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I killed a couple of trees a few years ago with discarded goldfish tank water with a high nitrogen/urea content. I now stick with commercial products that have a known NPK content. I'm trying to remove as many variables from my horticulture as possible.

 

[eferguson1974]

I tossed some grounds in a pot on top.of the soil and it molded in the humidity. Needs to be composted first for sure. Its said to be very rich in nitrogen and very good for compost. I poor old coffee on the weeds around the house and there fine. You oughta see what they fertalize coffee with!

 

[armetisius]

. . . . You oughta see what they fertalize coffee with!

Like most food/foodstuffs "if you like it, you never need to see how it is produced."
Still won't eat lettuce after getting caught behind the fertilizer truck in the fields out
in California years ago. Miles [felt like it]/weeks [actually probably only a couple hours]
of the smell of ag chems blended with emulsified manure yields? Olfactory cocktail of
broken lettuce blended with manure that will turn you against it for life.

 

[eferguson1974]

They dont do anything that nasty to coffee, they just spray them all the time with pestacide, fertalizer, fungacide and who knows what else. Spraying is very common on a coffee farm..

 

[KennedyMarx]

I don't drink coffee so I don't have grounds around to experiment with. I have heard about people using the grounds to help with the acidity of the soil on plants like Azaleas. I think I would stick with regular fertilizers (whichever organic or inorganic/chemical you prefer).

 

[Cypress187]

I saw some youtube video about coffee being used in compost tea (kinda ironic).

 

[jomawa]

I saw some youtube video about coffee being used in compost tea (kinda ironic).

Probably just some rich British tea drinker (anti-coffee drinker) getting full strength coffee for their use, something like Kopi Luwak coffee.

 

[eferguson1974]

Coffee grounds make a good N soure if its composted with other stuff. If you have a compost bin, add it. I will use it in the wicking beds Im making for food plants and bonsai growing. But I think like anything, too much is not good. Old coffee in a pot must be ok too, the weeds by my house live on it in the dry season. Of course Im talking about coffee without sugar or milk, just coffee.

 

[Cypress187]

Probably just some rich British tea drinker (anti-coffee drinker) getting full strength coffee for their use, something like Kopi Luwak coffee.

Yeah, he sounded British, and his haircut, omg.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

Considering my experience with potted plants other than bonsai I'd say if you use it do so very sparingly.
Coffee grounds mold quickly and the infusion seems to clog up the soil, causing caking and reducing drainage. Possibly due to mold

It may not be a problem in bonsai since the soil is more open but I'd be careful.

 

[Alain]

I collect my coffee ground and always mix it with the soil of my other plants (vegetables and 1 house plant) and it works very well.
Also it's a good cat's repellent.

However I never really used it for bonsai, just sprinkle a little on top of some of my trees in training. I never had any problem with that.

 

[Ironbeaver]

I grind my own coffee, and keep it fairly coarse. Do you think the size of granules would make a difference?

 

[twisted trees]

I drink a fair amount of coffee and don't seem any worse for it.

 

[Woodland Spirit]

It may be fine if it doesn't mold, all I know is I get a green penicillin looking mold quite often after using it.
On potting soil that is.
I have not noticed any mold growth on or in myself.

 

[sorce]

2nd Mold.

Whorganic.

Sorce