Image – Wikimedia/Bex Walton
Is coffee good for plants? It’s all very well to make the most of something, in order to save and recycle, but sometimes you can wonder if you haven’t gone too far with certain things. For example, with coffee.
If you’ve ever left coffee in a container for too long, you may have been surprised at how quickly it can go moldy. And it is precisely for this reason that one can ask oneself which plants need coffee as fertilizer, because maybe there isn’t… or is there? Let’s see.
Does coffee serve as fertilizer?
Image – Agenciasinc.es
This is the first thing to discover. Coffee has an acid pH – more or less around 4.5 and 5.0 – which is extremely interesting for those who grow plants that need a low pH.such as azaleas, camellias, gardenias and a long etcetera.
But as I said at the beginning, it is still something that over time can fill with fungi or oomycetes, and these are microorganisms that can be very harmful to plants if they are pathogenic species , such as Phytopthora for example, which are certain oomycetes that live in the soil.
How to use the coffee to pay them?
If we wanted to use it as fertilizer, to do it right, liquid coffee should be used hot or cool (i.e. you would have to brew the coffee, wait for it to cool, and discard the grounds), or pour the grinds directly on the ground (not on pots).
Another option would be to mix a small amount of coffee powder -or the same grounds- with the substrate. But of course it wouldn’t be a good idea to place the designs directly on the substrate.
For which plants is coffee useful as a fertilizer?
Since coffee is acidic, it can only be used as a fertilizer for acidophilic plants, i.e. for these, for example:
maples
Maples are a type of tree or shrub that grows primarily in forests in the northern hemisphere. The vast majority are deciduous, and many of them also thrive in acidic soils.such is the case of the false banana (Acer pseudoplatanus), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), paper maple (Acer griseum), Acer saccharum, Acer platanoidesred maple (Acer red), etc.
Among the most common, Those who don’t need coffee as fertilizer are these:
- Acer camping
- acer negundo
- Acer opalus Yes Acer opalus garnet subspecies
For the simple reason that either they are not fussy or they grow in clay soils (i.e. they have a pH of 7 or more) as is the case with A. opalus subs granatense .
azalea and rhododendron
Although the azalea belongs to the botanical genus Rhododendron, the two plants are sold in stores and nurseries under a different name. Azaleas are those shrubs that have leaves and small flowers, while rhododendrons are larger.. It must also be said that if the first ones tolerate temperatures between 30-35°C quite well if they are in the shade and have water at their disposal, the rhododendrons do not support it, because they live in regions colder.
But yes, both need, yes or yes, to grow in acidic soilsthis is why fertilizing them with coffee from time to time can be useful.
Camellia
camellia It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that produces flowers about 4 centimeters in diameter., and very colorful colors. It is one of the most grown in pots, although when the soil in the garden is acidic it is also very interesting to plant it there.
Does not tolerate high pH soils, which can kill chlorotic leaves very quickly if you have one like this. Therefore, it does not hurt to occasionally add acid fertilizers like this, and even coffee.
Citrus (lemon, orange, etc.)
Citrus trees are widely planted in almost any soil type as long as it is fertile. The problem arises when they are kept in clay soils, as the lack of manganese causes their leaves to turn yellow.. For example, this is something that often happens to lemon trees.
To avoid this, preventive measures must be taken, fertilizing them from time to time with specific fertilizers, or planting them in land with low pH.
Gardenia
gardenia It is another evergreen shrub characterized by producing beautiful flowers. These appear in spring-summer, are white and smell good. So it’s no surprise that many of us get one as soon as we see it in the nursery.
But you should know that it is an acidophilic plant, that is to say that cannot grow in soils with a pH of 7 or higher.
Hydrangea
The hydrangea is a shrub that blooms several months of the year. It has large green leaves, with a serrated margin, and its flowers are grouped in rounded inflorescences, which measure about 5 centimeters in diameter more or less.
It is very easy to grow, as long as it is kept in acidic soils, otherwise it will lose its leaves and not flower.
Magnolia
Trees and shrubs of the Magnolia genus are also considered acid-loving plants. They have large leaves, which can be deciduous or evergreen. Yes, what about its flowers? They are large, aromatic and precious. They can measure up to 30 centimeters in diameter, and be white or pink.
Although they grow slowly, it is important to state that they need low pH soils. For him, If they are planted in pots, they should be given an acidic plant substrate. like that.
As you can see, coffee can be used as a fertilizer for certain plants.