Do Peace Lilies Like Coffee Grounds? (+How To Use It Right)

Coffee is a popular beverage, and coffee grounds are readily available in most households. If you have heard that coffee grounds are used as fertilizers for houseplants you must be wondering if you should give them a shot. Before you consider applying coffee grounds to your peace lily plant, you must understand whether peace lily plants are like coffee grounds or not. 

Peace lilies can benefit from the coffee ground as it is a rich source of nutrients for the plant. Additionally, peace lilies prefer acidic soil, and coffee grounds add acidity to the soil. You can use the coffee ground as compost or liquid fertilizer to rip its maximum benefits.

Even after all these benefits, coffee grounds can harm your peace lily if you don’t use them correctly. You should only opt for using coffee grounds if you know how to apply them. 

Therefore, this article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using coffee grounds on your peace lily plant and the best way to use it.

Are coffee grounds good for peace lilies?

Coffee grounds contain a high volume of Nitrogen, an essential macronutrient that your peace lily needs. Coffee grounds can, therefore, boost the growth of your peace lily plant. 

Peace lilies like their soil to be acidic, and coffee grounds can help with that as it makes the soil acidic by lowering the pH level. 

If you can use the coffee grounds correctly, your peace lily will benefit from it. 

You can mix coffee grounds with other organic matter and make rich compost out of it. This will attract earthworms and beneficial microorganisms that will improve the soil structure. 

However, too much compost will hold more moisture in the soil that can make it soggy. So, you must be cautious about the quantity.

How often should I put coffee grounds on my peace lily? 

How much coffee grounds your peace lily will enjoy cannot be predicted as it depends on the plant. Different peace lilies will have different requirements. 

While many peace lily owners claim that they add to their plants every month and see great results, some state that they do it occasionally, maybe once in 3-4 months. 

If you are confused about how often you want to add coffee grounds to your peace lily, start adding it once in two months. Check your plant’s reaction after two months and then make amendments based on that. 

You must reduce the application of coffee grounds in winter as that is the dormant period when your plant will not require much fertilization.

Too much coffee grounds can create a moist environment that can invite pests and fungal infections, so never go overboard with it. Adding too much coffee grounds can also increase the soil acidity more than required.

Remember that coffee grounds are not an alternative for fertilizer. It doesn’t contain all the nutrients that a plant requires, so you should switch between a regular all-purpose fertilizer and coffee grounds for best results.

Coffee grounds are not for regular use, and you should never apply them regularly on your peace lily. You must always use them as liquid fertilizer, mulch, or compost and never directly on the soil.

What is the best way of using coffee grounds on peace lilies?

Before we discuss the benefits and harmful effects of coffee grounds on your peace lily, let’s find out about the best ways of using coffee grounds on peace lily plants.

You should never add coffee grounds directly to the soil. That is a wrong way of application, but many people end up making this mistake. This can cause pest infestation or fungal infections, so you must refrain from doing this.

Now that you know you can’t use coffee grounds directly on the soil, let’s discuss the different ways of applying coffee grounds to peace lilies.

You can apply coffee grounds using three ways such as:

1. Mulch
2. Liquid fertilizer
3. Compost

Let us now understand each of them.

Mulch

Mulching is more popular with outdoor plants than houseplants. But you can apply it to houseplants also.

Mulching is adding a layer of organic matter on top of the soil. This helps to retain moisture and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms. On top of that, mulching can also act as an excellent fertilizer!

You can mix organic matter like wood chips, branches, leaves, and straw to prepare mulch and add a handful of coffee grounds.

Be careful while adding coffee grounds to the peace lily as too much of it can alter the soil pH and make it too acidic for your peace lily.

Liquid fertilizer

You can make a liquid fertilizer with coffee grounds, which is the best way to use it. Check out the following steps to create this.

1. Fill a container with water and allow it to simmer.
2. When the water starts simmering, turn off the gas. Now let the water settle.
3. Add coffee grounds to the water after five minutes.
4. Now leave this mixture aside for days. You can stir it occasionally.
5. After that, strain the remains and pour this into a spray bottle. You can then spray it on your peace lily plant.

When you leave this mixture aside before using it as a spray, the beneficial bacteria help the coffee grounds release nutrients in the water.

This nutrient-rich water works as a fertilizer for your peace lily. You can use this spray once a month or twice a month if you are unsure of the suitable amount for your peace lily.

This liquid fertilizer is full of microorganisms and bacteria that improve the soil quality.

Compost

Composting is an organic way of fertilizing your houseplants. You can add coffee grounds to the compost if you prepare it on your own.

Adding coffee grounds to the compost can make it nutrient-rich with a ton of Nitrogen in it.

You can add 20% coffee ground to the garden or kitchen waste and use it on your peace lily. But be mindful about not adding too much coffee grounds to the compost as that can ruin the balance of the nutrients.

You can prepare the compost and use it to fertilize your peace lily once a month or once in two months.

Do not do this very often as that can cause a lot of harm to the plant.

Advantages of using coffee grounds

Let’s take a look at how coffee grounds can help your peace lily.

Increases the acidity of the soil

Peace lilies prefer soil with 5.8 to 6.5 pH levels. This indicates that the peace lily enjoys acidic soil.

If the soil doesn’t have enough acidity, coffee grounds can do the trick. Therefore, coffee grounds will suit the requirements of your peace lily.

Adds nutrients

Coffee grounds can provide a lot of Nitrogen to your peace lily as Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium are the key ingredients that plants need.

So, if you want to give a boost of Nitrogen to your peace lily plant, you can add coffee grounds.

Adds organic matter

Besides adding Nitrogen to your peace lily, coffee grounds can also add organic matter to the soil. 

Organic matter can improve the soil by increasing aeration, improving both drainage and retention.

Disadvantages of using coffee grounds

Along with the benefits, you must also understand the disadvantages of using coffee grounds. These can happen when you use too much or apply coffee grounds in the wrong way.

You can avoid all these problems by applying coffee grounds correctly and with the proper method.

Excess moisture

If you don’t want your peace lily to get overwatered, you must check the amount of water you give the plant. Coffee grounds can retain moisture, and if you keep giving excess water to your plant, coffee grounds will help retain that moisture.

Too much moisture will cause overwatering and root rot. When you are adding coffee grounds to the compost, add only a tiny amount of it.

It would be ideal for keeping a check on the watering. Finding the balance is the key to avoid this issue.

Pest infestation

Coffee grounds can repel pests like ants and slugs, but they can also attract some pests.

If you add coffee grounds directly, you might notice that pests like ants and flies are attracted to your peace lily.

Therefore, avoid adding it directly. Instead, use it as liquid fertilizer or mix it with compost.

Also read: Do Peace Lily Attract Bugs? (Identification+How ToGet Rid Of Them)

Fungal disease

Another problem caused by coffee grounds being added to the soil directly is that fungal diseases. While the coffee grounds slowly break down, it attracts fungi that can cause various fungal diseases.

Fungal diseases can reduce the growth rate of your peace lily plant other than causing various other problems.

Therefore, add coffee grounds after mixing it with the compost or as a liquid fertilizer.

Also read: What Kind Of Fertilizer Does A Peace Lily Need? (Peace Lily Fertilizer Ratio)

Final words

Yes, peace lilies like coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are suitable as they can increase the soil acidity that the peace lilies like, boost the growth of these plants with the high nitrogen dose, and keep your pets away from the peace lily plant.

It would be best to use coffee grounds by making a liquid fertilizer or adding it to the compost. Avoid adding them directly, as that can go wrong.

Don’t consider coffee grounds as a supplement to your usual fertilizer. Coffee grounds should be switched up with the usual fertilizer and should be used occasionally and not frequently.

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Ref: ScienceDirect, NCBI, University of Vermont, Nationalgeographic, NC state university, University of Florida, The University of Arkansas, Queensland Government.