You might be an avid coffee lover, but sometimes, we just don’t get around to finishing our morning cup. Don’t pour it down the drain quite yet, though, because something else in your home can use it.
Coffee can actually help give your houseplants a major boost of minerals, and all you have to do is pour it over the soil.
How does this work exactly? Well, many of the minerals found in coffee that benefit you also benefit plants. Nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium are all found in a brewed cup and when added, they can infuse your plant with more of the nutrients they need.
However, you need to be sure to use coffee in the right way if you want to revive your plants or give them a bit of a boost.
First, you shouldn’t use hot, fresh-brewed coffee. The heat could damage your plants’ roots and counteract any sort of benefits. Coffee is also highly acidic which can harm your plants, as well.
Don’t immediately pour it on them as soon as you’re done drinking and only use black coffee. You’ll first want to dilute your coffee with water until it looks more like black tea, and then pour it over the soil. You can do this about once a week.
There are a few caveats to this trick, though. First, while this might be a good hack for a momentary boost, if used long term it could throw off the ph balance in your soil and kill your plant. If you do plan to use it, be sure to get a soil pH monitor to ensure the soil stays balanced (usually at around 5.5-6.5 for indoor plants). Finally, if you are concerned, this hack is less likely to have detrimental effects on indoor trees, so your ficus or fiddle leaf fig might be the best place to start.
If you’ve been struggling to keep your houseplants alive or in tip-top shape, your morning coffee might be the answer.
