Peace lilies are versatile houseplants, known for their beauty and being evergreen tropical plants that thrive from the forest grounds. As long as you know how to replicate its environmental conditions, these flowers can thrive indoors, growing up to 16 inches tall! If grown outside, expect it to grow up to 6 feet tall!
There are different tips you may have heard to care for these beautiful blossoms well, including adding coffee grounds to their soil. But are coffee grounds good for peace lilies? Read on to find out!
Are Coffee Grounds Good for Peace Lilies?
The short answer is YES, coffee grounds are good for peace lilies. In fact, you might have already heard about the good use of coffee grounds for its many benefits it gives plants.
Why?
This is thanks to its high nutrient content, which is why you can see it used as fertilizer. They have acidic properties it offers, ideal for soils that have too much alkaline (or pH levels above 7.0). Besides this, coffee grounds can help ward away indoor pets or ants, and even reverse the browning of leaves from peace lily plants.
To be specific, coffee grounds contain these helpful components for your plants’ growth:
- Nutrients – Old coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, which is a major nutrient that houseplants need. Peace lilies will thrive best when planted with a mix containing nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous.
- Organic matter – Other than the nutrient content, coffee grounds have organic materials that can be spread to the soil. This provides more aeration to the soil, boosting water retention and improving the drainage.
- Acidity – houseplant soil may either be acidic or alkaline, which is also called basic. Coffee grounds may boost the acidity of your plant’s soil, which is what peace lilies thrive in.
- Microorganisms – Microorganisms like earthworms actually benefit your houseplant, as they eat organic matter when they begin decaying. Furthermore, they travel through soil, which improves aeration. Compost with coffee grounds contain enough organic materials to attract earthworms to the indoor garden.
However, take note that there may be issues that can come from using coffee grounds for our peace lilies, such as:
- While coffee grounds ward off slugs, pets, and other pests, it may also attract other insects like roaches.
- If soil conditions are acidic already, adding more coffee grounds would reduce its pH levels, affecting the growth.
- Depending on the area, coffee grounds might attract fungal diseases, which is why it’s best to use it as compost rather than placed directly on soil.
- Coffee grounds are great in water retention, but if you aren’t knowledgeable on watering, it ends up with too much water retention. You will need to add coarse or perlite soil for better drainage for the coffee grounds to work well.
Using Coffee Grounds for Your Peace Lily
Now that you know about the wonders of coffee grounds on peace lilies and other houseplants, how can you begin using them properly? Here are some quick tips you can follow:
- As mentioned, it’s best to use coffee grounds as compost over placing it directly on the soil. However, if you do plan on adding coffee grounds to the soil, you can add a pot of coffee grounds at once, or do it gradually. Dilute the coffee grounds before adding them to the soil to prevent fungal overgrowth and excessive moisture retention.
- In terms of the frequency when adding coffee grounds, add one coffee pot’s worth of it once a month. However, some gardeners do it once every few months. It’s best to start fertilizing once every 6-8 weeks and see how your plant does with the coffee grounds.
- Be patient! It may take 2-4 months before you spot some visible changes after using coffee grounds on your peace lilies. Make sure to monitor the plant every few weeks to know whether coffee grounds are beneficial to your peace lilies. If ever you notice negative effects, check the soil pH levels and how you water your peace lily, adjusting accordingly.
Other than coffee grounds, there are other alternatives you may want to consider using, such as grass clippings and vegetable peels. These contain useful nutrients that can help with your peace lily’s growth, along with other houseplants.
Read more: Are Coffee Grounds Good For Tomatoes? The Answers Revealed
Wrapping It Up
If you are planning to use coffee grounds for your peace lilies, then that is a great choice! As long as you use coffee grounds properly, then you will notice successful growth with your peace lilies.
Hopefully, you found insight on the use of coffee grounds for peace lilies. You can try it out now and see the change after a few months, enjoying those fantastic white blooms. Happy gardening!
