The coffee project

[losfreddy]

I have raised this new idea about adding coffee to increase acidity and to boost start growth in CPs. i have had growing sucess with coffee growing other such things and i find it to help at least decently in the growth of the plant. I always had to dilute the coffee in water because it was too acidic and many things wouldn't start growing. Some growing mediums ive heard of was the use of peat moss and Oyster Shells. Peat Moss is acidic and Oyster Shells (Calcium Carbonate) would help neutralize it. Then it hit me. Coffee could be used to help grow CPs sense they need high Acidity anyways to grow. The plants in the experiments that im using coffee in are showing above average growth rates. dammed if i know what part of the coffee did it thou. probably the caffine. I guess, just like people the coffee can give the plant a caffine buzz and cause increase growth rate. As for use on CPs., i think it may work wounders.

[jimscott]

Pine needles also acidify, if you have those laying around. I use them in my Nep baskets.

[Tony Paroubek]

Coffee is a seed and hence full of plant food to supply the germinating coffee tree. I would imagine that a good portion of these nutrients would come out of the bean into the water when brewed. In essence your fertilizing your plants.

[Alvin Meister]

I'm not sure it would have any effect. Peat is pH 4-5, so IF it was made lower, I would expect by a tiny amount. More to the point, no CP is going to grow better in pH 4.5, rather than 5.0.

You'd need to set up a control for this kind of experiment and find two genetically identical plants of the same age.

[Ozzy]

I'm going to move thins to the General forum since it has nothing to do with conservation.