Are coffee grounds good for Peace Lilies? Is it a good idea to fertilize your Spathiphyllum with the waste material of your daily brew?
I tested it and can testify that coffee grounds work great as fertilizer for Peace Lilies. But only if you do it the right way.
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Are Coffee Grounds Good for Peace Lilies?
Coffee grounds are good for Peace Lilies. They are popularly used as fertilizer due to their high nitrogen content. The acidic properties reduce alkaline soil pH (above 7). It is also used to ward off pets and help reverse leaf browning.
5 Benefits of Coffee Grounds for Peace Lilies
1. As a Fertilizer
Fertilizing indoor plants is important in plant care, especially for plants like Peace Lilies.
Coffee Grounds make an excellent fertilizer for indoor plants as they are rich in nitrogen (2.5-3%). It is an essential nutrient if your Peace Lilies are to have green leaves and strong stems.
Peace Lilies generally do well with nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium fertilizer mixtures.
Begin by adding coffee grounds to your soil once a month. You can always adjust the quantity in the future if there aren’t any improvements.
2. As pH balancer
Houseplants can be classified into two categories depending on their acidic or alkaline pH.
If your Peace Lilies suffer from high pH levels (alkaline soil), adding coffee grounds can reduce the soil pH.
3. Compost
Coffee grounds act as organic matter when added to the soil. This addition of coffee grounds helps improve the growth rate of your Peace Lilies by increasing water retention, providing aeration, and improving drainage.
4. Keeping Pets Away
Peace Lilies, although incredibly beautiful, are very toxic to indoor pets. The presence of calcium oxalate in its leaves and flowers make it poisonous.
If ingested, the reaction can manifest as respiratory and stomach irritation.
You can keep Peace Lilies out of reach of your pets to ensure their safety.
Furthermore, you can add coffee grounds to your soil as a fool-proof method of warding off your indoor pets.
5. Reversing Leaf Browning
Yellowing or browning on their leaf tips is quite common. The most probable cause of this is overwatering.
Coffee grounds improve drainage, thereby helping with overwatering. Although coffee grounds can reverse several types of leaf discoloration, it is recommended to overcome the root cause.
Your Peace Lilies could be undergoing discoloration due to excessive use of fertilizers, over-watering, improper drainage, wrong choice of fertilizer, and even under-watering your plants.
Others
Other Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be used to promote vermicomposting. Earthworms use coffee grounds as a source of nutrition from the soil.
Promoting vermicomposting improves soil aeration as they move about. Moreover, it is a great way of improving the nutrient content of the soil.
Also, coffee grounds can discourage fungal infections and keep pests away.
Fusarium, Pythium, and Sclerotinia are a few fungi species that coffee grounds can prevent from attacking your Peace Lilies.
On the other hand, snails and slugs that often infest soils can be kept away by sprinkling a few coffee grounds onto the soil. The caffeine in the coffee grounds drives off these pets.
4 Problems Associated With the Using Coffee Grounds
1. Attracts Pests
Although it’s previously mentioned that coffee grounds can ward off slugs and other pests, the reverse is also true. Coffee grounds attract certain insects, like roaches. Hence, using coffee grounds as compost is recommended rather than spreading them on the soil.
2. Stunts Growth
If your soil conditions are already acidic, adding coffee grounds will reduce the soil pH. Peace Lilies grow best in pH ranges of weak acids. Should the soil pH drop more than necessary, it will stunt the growth of your Peace Lilies.
3. Promotes Fungal Growth
Coffee grounds can provide an ideal environment for certain fungal diseases. These fungal diseases can lead to mold formation, harming your Peace Lilies. Use your coffee grounds as compost to prevent fungal growth rather than laying it on the soil.
4. Excessive Water Retention
The most common mistake faced by indoor plant owners is overwatering. Moreover, Coffee grounds are well-known to hold moisture.
When used as organic matter, the fine particles of coffee grounds act as a sponge. Hence, coffee grounds can significantly increase the risk of overwatering your Peace Lilies.
To overcome excessive water retention, you can alter the soil composition by adding perlite or coarse soil using a smaller pot or pot that is porous.
These changes will improve drainage, reducing the risk of excessive water retention.
Better Alternatives to Fertilize a Peace Lily
Grass clippings make an excellent fertilizer alternative to coffee grounds for Peace Lilies. They are rich in phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen, all essential to Peace Lilies.
Making your grass-clipping fertilizer is fairly simple. Take your grass clippings and at them into a pot of water, following a one-to-one ratio. Occasionally, stir the grass-clipping-water mix over three days.
However, note that natural fertilizers only last for two days. Hence, you will need to make a fresh batch regularly.
Peace Lily Care
Peace Lilies thrive in an in-home environment and grow up to 16 inches (40cm) tall. At the same time, those grown outdoors have leaves up to 6 feet in height (15cm). Peace Lilies grow best in temperatures between 65 to 80 °F (18°C-26°C) and using a balanced fertilizer every six weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use coffee directly on my Peace Lilies?
You should dilute your coffee grounds before adding them to the soil. Concentrated coffee can lead to fungal overgrowth and moisture retention.
In what pH do Peace Lilies thrive?
Peace Lilies grow best in acidic soil conditions, within the pH ranges of 5.8-6.5.
How quickly am I going to see the benefits of using coffee grounds?
After adding coffee grounds, it can take up to two to four months to see a visible difference in your Peace Lilies.
Closing Remarks
Coffee grounds have many benefits for plants, such as Peace Lilies, and make an excellent fertilizer if used in moderation.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.