Most of us dispose of coffee grounds regularly as part of our household waste. Being a person who enjoys coffee, I wonder if the coffee grounds can be used to fertilize snake plants. What about coffee grounds? Can snake plants handle it? Let’s find out!
When used as compost, mulch, or liquid fertilizer, coffee grounds are excellent for snake plants. It helps make the soil acidic, which makes snake plants thrive. However, we ought not to add coffee grounds directly to plants since they may suffer from various problems, including fungus, pests, and stunted growth.
There are two sides to a double-edged sword when it comes to coffee grounds. If used correctly, it can boost the growth of your snake plant. However, if used incorrectly, it can severely stunt its growth.
Therefore, in this article we will examine the benefits and drawbacks of using coffee grounds in snake plants. Let’s get started.
Can snake plants be grown on coffee grounds?
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Nylon is a major macronutrient required by plants for their growth, which is available in significant quantities in coffee grounds.
Mixing the coffee grounds with other organic matter can produce an extremely rich compost. Microorganisms and earthworms useful for the soil can be attracted by organic matter.
You can also use it to make the soil acidic, which is perfect for snake plants.
Nevertheless, you need to be careful about the amount of compost you use on your snake plant.
While a composted soil can store moisture for a long period, snake plant prefers a dry soil. Therefore, adding too much compost to your snake plant is not a good idea.
What is the best way to repot snake plants?
Although coffee grounds are suitable for your snake plant, you should not use them regularly. Once a month or so, you can apply coffee grounds, mulch, or compost.
It is recommended to alternate coffee ground-based fertilizer with other fertilizers since it is high in nitrogen but lacks other nutrients. Thus, it will be beneficial to use it in conjunction with a balanced fertilizer.
Your soil should be pH-balanced to prevent the roots of your plant being burned or your leaves turning yellow.
In addition to attracting pests like gnats and fungal infections, coffee grounds can attract the same. In this discussion, we will address these problems briefly. First, let’s explain how coffee grounds can be used in our houseplants.
The best way to use ground coffee on a snake plant
You must be wondering how to use coffee grounds to fertilize your snake plant now that you know it works.
The tricky part is that many hobbyists simply add a handful of coffee to their plants.
So, we must never do so, as it could result in severe issues such as pests and fungal growth.
But how can we use it if we cannot add it directly?
The coffee grounds can be used in three ways to fertilize our snake plant. These include:
- Compost
- Liquid fertilizer
- Mulch
Let us get into the details of each one.
As a compost
Compost is one of the most effective ways to fertilize our houseplants organically. You can compost your coffee grounds if you are among those who do their own composting at home.
You can make a nutrient-rich organic compost that has a high nitrogen content by adding coffee grounds.
Add 20% coffee grounds to your other kitchen or garden waste and make a nutrient-rich compost out of it.
You want to make sure that the coffee ground doesn’t ruin the balance of your compost, but please don’t go overboard.
The mix can be used to fertilize your snake plant once every 6-8 weeks once it has been prepared. It should not be added often, as overfertilizing could be a problem that causes more harm than good.
As a liquid fertilizer
One of the best ways to utilize coffee grounds is to make a liquid fertilizer. Here are the steps you can follow:
- Fill a small container with water and let it simmer.
- Turn off the gas once the water has begun simmering and let it sit.
- Add coffee grounds after 5 minutes.
- For a few days, let the mixture sit.
- Now you can strain the liquid mixture and fill a spray bottle with it for spraying on your houseplants.
After a few days, the coffee grounds will become colonized with beneficial bacteria. As a result, the coffee grounds will be broken down, releasing nutrients in the water.
Your snake plant can be fertilized once a month using this water. In addition, microorganisms and bacteria are present in the water, which will enhance the quality of the soil.
As a mulch
Outdoor gardening typically practices mulching. Mulch is a mixture of organic matter used to cover the soil. It can be used on your houseplants as well.
The fungus helps prevent soil degradation, provides a balanced environment for the growth of micro-organisms, and fertilizes the soil at the same time.
You can make mulch by mixing organic matter such as straw, leaves, branches, wood chips, along with coffee grounds.
The only thing to keep in mind while using this product is that it may alter the pH of the soil and impair the growth of your snake plant.
While using coffee grounds to grow snake plants, be aware of the potential hazards
Here we will look at some of the hazard and benefit of coffee grounds and how we can use them.
However, most of these problems occur when coffee grounds are added directly to the plant or do not break down enough before addition.
You can avoid most of these problems by using the right amount and preparing it properly.
Fungal diseases
If the ground coffee is added directly to the topsoil, it can attract fungi. Your snake plant is likely to develop a fungal infection while the grounds break down, which could lead to slow degradation.
By using coffee grounds for composting, mulching, or making liquid fertilizer with them, you can prevent this problem.
Inhibiting the growth of your snake plant with fungal growth can lead to various other issues. Thus, coffee grounds should be used in the form of compost or mulch rather than straight as compost.
Excess moisture
Despite its porous and spongy surface, coffee grounds can retain moisture for a long time, which can be bad for your snake plant.
Snake plant prefer dry, well-draining soil. Therefore, too much moisture can lead to root diseases that will hinder the growth of the plant.
Overwatering your plants leads to soggy soil, which can be prevented by adding coffee grounds to the compost.
We need to be sure to remind you of this fact when you use coffee ground composted in the soil.
Attract pests
You might have read that coffee ground keeps pest away. That may be true for some pests, like slugs and ants, but the same may not apply for gnats and flies.
Coffee grounds can introduce pest problems that can negatively affect your plant’s growth if they are added directly to the ground.
Therefore, the best option would be to mix it with compost or use it as a liquid fertilizer. Do not use it directly on your plants.
Plant growth can be inhibited
Research claims that adding ground coffee directly to the soil can affect the growth rate of your snake plant. Particularly with young plants, this is true.
When you are repotting or when you have a new plant, you should avoid using coffee grounds. However, there is no practical proof to it since I have not tried it myself.
However, it is claimed in various studies. Therefore, it is best to avoid using it in your snake plants.
Watering With Leftover Coffee?
I don’t recommend using leftover coffee to water your plants. I strongly recommend avoiding the same for several reasons:
- There is a significant amount of caffeine in coffee, which can inhibit the growth of plants.
- Starting out by watering with coffee will likely lead to overwatering your plant.
You should avoid overwatering your snake plant or changing its pH level frequently. Since it prefers dry soil, it can get damaged by doing so.
Final Thoughts
Can snake plants be grown on coffee grounds? Yes, if used properly and in the proper quantity, coffee grounds are beneficial to snake plants. It is also imperative you avoid adding it directly into the soil since it can cause various problems.
To enrich your soil with nutrients, you can use it as compost or liquid fertilizer.
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