7 Benefits of Coffee Grounds for Plants, Can Be Fertilizer to Repel Pests

Coffee grounds turn out to have various benefits after being served. Some of them are used as face masks, bath scrubs, and even to clean household appliances. However, coffee turns out to also be able to nourish plants, do you know?

Like fertilizer, coffee is effective enough to be part of composting and keep certain pests away. Reporting from The Spruce, coffee grounds contain about 1.45% nitrogen. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other minerals.

Here are 7 Benefits of Coffee Grounds for Plants

The high levels of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and copper in coffee grounds will be good nutrients for the soil. With good soil quality, of course, plants can grow better.

1. Compost

Dried coffee grounds can be used as a compost mixture. But this only applies to pulp from natural coffee without any mixture. Making compost from coffee grounds is not so complicated, just use organic materials such as leftover cooking vegetables or food, tubers, and fallen leaves. You can also use stale bread, unused fruit skin, or egg shells, then mix it with dry coffee grounds.

Citing Healthline, a study proves that composted coffee grounds and kitchen waste contain nutrients that are better for plants than compost made with waste alone. This is because the nitrogen gas content in coffee grounds is relatively high, thus improving the quality of the compost. In addition, compost with 40 percent coffee content produces the least greenhouse gas emissions and is claimed to be the best quality compost and has economic value.

2. Increase Nitrogen Content

One of the benefits of coffee grounds for plants is that it increases the nitrogen content of the soil. That way, plants will be easier to grow, flower, and then bear fruit. These properties are obtained during the processing of coffee beans into coffee powder.

3. Repel pests

Coffee grounds are useful as midges for pests, such as naked snails and snails. Both of these animals can inhibit the process of plant growth because they like to eat fruit and leaves. According to research, caffeine is toxic to snails. By spreading coffee grounds, it can be a plant barrier so that the slimy animals don't want to come close and even breed.

4. Food for earthworms

Worms love coffee grounds! Just don't add too much at once, because the acidity can irritate earthworms. A cup or more of powder per week is perfect for earthworms. In addition to using coffee grounds for worms, it will also be more attractive to your plants and can be used as a fertilizing medium for plants.

5. Coffee grounds as a mulch

As organic material that can rot over time, coffee grounds are useful as mulch or plant protection beds, reports The Spruce. The advantages of using organic mulch from coffee are that it can prevent erosion, retain moisture content, maintain soil temperature humidity, and suppress the growth of weeds and disease.

6. Coffee grounds as liquid fertilizer

The benefits of coffee grounds for the next plant are used as fertilizer. Yes, coffee grounds or coffee grounds can apparently also be turned into a good liquid fertilizer for plant growth. The trick, mix coffee grounds with water, let it soak overnight, then apply liquid coffee fertilizer to the stems and leaves using a sprayer.

7. Foliar Fertilizer

If you have plants that need care, especially in the leaves and stems, a coffee grounds solution can be the right choice. The method is very easy, mix coffee grounds into a container of water. Then use the mixture as a spray for your plants. Spray this solution all over the plant, including the undersides of the leaves. Experts believe that coffee grounds nourish plants better so they can increase the vigor of your plants.

8. Accelerate Oyster Mushroom Growth

Coffee grounds are needed when growing oyster mushrooms. Most people grow oyster mushrooms on pasteurized straw. Now, to make it easier, just prepare a container with soil, give some mushroom seeds, and add coffee grounds on top.

9. Brighten flower color

Coffee grounds can produce brighter flower colors and leafy leaves. This is because the neutral pH level provides a source of nutrients so plants thrive. Adding coffee grounds to azaleas, rhododendrons, holly, hortensia, and lily of the valley can brighten the color of the flowers and produce healthy leaves.

Those are 9 benefits of coffee grounds for plants that you can try at home. Especially if you intend to start gardening naturally without chemicals.