What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Coffee Grounds as Medium?

I'm just wondering if i can use coffee grounds (the soil-like things that you get from grinding coffee beans) as medium for my Nepenthes plants? I read a lot of testimonials about the wonders of coffee (drink) as fertilizers for Neps but I've never read of using the grounds as medium. What say you, friends?
 
Why would you even try that? Lol, I have no idea.
 
That'd be like planting a nepenthes with fertilizer....IMO, I wouldn't do it.
 
Why would you even try that? Lol, I have no idea.

Well, I have a lot of it.

---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 PM ----------

That'd be like planting a nepenthes with fertilizer....IMO, I wouldn't do it.

I was thinking of mixing it with coco cubes, and an alternative to peat cause it looks like peat.
 
I wouldnt do it. It would probably burn the roots.

---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 AM ----------

and just because it looks like peat doesnt mean it acts like peat.
 
I wouldnt do it. It would probably burn the roots.

---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 AM ----------

and just because it looks like peat doesnt mean it acts like peat.

Alright, thank you.

Has anyone here tried it?
 
I would expect the acidity would be extreme and destroy the root system in a short time. You have to remember that coffee, applied as a "fertilizer" to Nepenthes is done sparingly, infrequently, and as a very dilute solution. Planting directly in a medium containing a significant portion of coffee grounds would likely be quite toxic. However, if you can determine the actual acidity (use a meter!) of the proposed mix, and determine the conductivity of the runoff (it must be under 24 microsiemens) then you just might be able to engineer a suitable mix. I would expect, however, that the percentage of coffee grounds used would have to be low (under 20%, or even far less) and you would have to wash the grounds repeatedly in rainwater/RO water before use. (Just like you have to "wash" peat before using it in a Sarracenia mix: right out of the bag, it contains too much salt)
 
Hi Whimgrinder, I intended to use it sparingly, like what you said. I was thinking of just adding a small amount of used coffee grounds to coco cubes.

And I appreciate your insight about using meters. I will do it to check the viability of using coffee grounds as a medium. I might also experiment on this and I'll post the results after a couple of months.
 
If you search through the forum you will find that coffee is used on occasion as fertilizer solution for neps. But planting the plant into pure ground stuff will be an overkill IMO. Try it and keep us posted.

P.S. My 500th post :)
 
  • #10
Yeah, I have to reiterate that I intend to use it only as an addition to a mixture of more commonly used media.
 
  • #11
If you have a plant that you don't care about, by all means, do it and show us the results. But as the previous comments suggest, you may just be in for a dead plant.
 
  • #12
As others have mentioned, use coffee in solution only as an occasional fertilizer and not as media. Doing so would not only kill the plant but encourage algae like you've never seen . . .
 
  • #13
i used to use a very thin top layer of used coffee grounds and my plants showed no ill effects from it but then again this was a few years back so i dont remember much from it
 
  • #14
THat would still kill the plant. When people use coffee they flush the roots right after to prevent buildup of minerals.
 
  • #15
As everyone else has already said, this may not be a good idea. But I'm with some of the others that say you should try it and report back to us.

It's not unfeasible that a small percentage of coffee grounds in your soil mix could give your Nepenthes a kick. Or it might be too much of a kick. This also all depends on how strong your grounds are, how much you've used them, etc.

Try it with a ventricosa or something for the sake of science. Or maybe I will!
 
  • #16
I havent tried it nor would I. If the coffee doesnt kill the plants then the infestation of mold you're gonna have will. Ever forgot to take the coffee filter out of you coffee machine? I did and it wasnt pretty; bought a new coffee maker.
 
  • #17
i used to use a very thin top layer of used coffee grounds and my plants showed no ill effects from it but then again this was a few years back so i dont remember much from it


Hmmm... I actually have one with coffee grounds on top of the medium but not mixed in the medium and I did it with my N. Miranda. It has grown two big leaves since then (about a month and a half ago). I didn't have any problem with mold or algae cause the coffee grounds were always the first to dry out (in between watering).

What I want to know really is if I can use the coffee grounds mixed IN my usual mixture. I was just curious to find out since I read that coffee grounds can provide additional nitrogen to the soil and cause it is used as a medium (not just fertilizer) to other plants.

I use coffee grounds from Starbucks.
 
  • #18
Typical media that is generally used for any plants are not used for growing nepenthes because the mineral content of the media is naturally high. And dangerous to nepenthes. I would say that using coffee grounds mixed with nepenthes media would burn the plant. Perhaps, to normal plants, they thoroughly benefit from such a mixture but remember that nepenthes' roots live in low nutrient level soil. They can take some fertilizers directly to the root but only to a certain extent.

Furthermore, liquid coffe is used as a fertilizer and as what I've heard, it isn't applied regularly and at a strong dosage. However, I do not coffee fertilize so I will not 'assume' that I know the pros and cons, the good and bad of coffee fertilizing. Once again, in my opinion, coffee grounds is waaaay too strong for nepenthes to handle. And it's a firm and strong opinion :)

Of course, if you're willing to try and prove me wrong, go ahead! S'far as I know, nobody has done it yet, you would be the first :lol:
 
  • #19
Lots of speculation, but there does not appear to be any definate conclusions of the effect of coffee grinds as a soil additive. Without performing an experiment, it is likely to stay as speculation and opinions ;)

I do agree that mold could be an issue; certainly mold grows in the drip tray of my expresso machine if I do not clean it out regularly.

I regularly use fertilisers on my Nepenthes. However, they will have a tolerance level, as do all plants. There will also be compounds in coffee grinds that are not in regular fertlisers.
 
  • #20
people plant fungi in coffe grounds, so fungi love it and would most likely kill the other plant in the mix. Yet as others have said experiment, prove us wrong. Use a extra ventrata or something you have spares of.

I have some planned experiments inthe future. I just have to buy the medea and I am off to the races. If it work then I would never have to repot and no breakdown of media. It could be a wonderful thing. Just would have to over pot to not get too root bound.
 
Back
Top