Used coffee grounds are often recommended as a natural fertilizer for many houseplants. But do orchids like coffee grounds? The answer isn’t a flat no. It depends almost entirely on which orchid is being discussed and how the grounds reach it.

A spent filter full of coffee grounds feels wasteful in the bin, which is probably how this idea got started. There’s real nitrogen in there. There’s organic matter too, along with years of internet advice insisting that acid-loving plants will thank you for the trouble. Orchids occupy an odd position in that conversation.

Two of those assumptions don’t survive much scrutiny, and the stakes are higher when fertilizing orchids than they would be when using coffee on tomato plants. It's important to understand that orchid roots evolved for conditions nothing like garden soil, and the medium in a typical pot serves a purpose that has little to do with nutrition. Get that part wrong, and the nitrogen content stops mattering.

Why Coffee Grounds Might Help Orchids

First up, I cannot overstate this: all types of orchids cannot rely on coffee grounds alone. They still need a specialist orchid fertilizer to provide the balanced nutrients they require. I like to use Better-Gro Orchid Plus 20-14-13, available from Amazon, which is urea-free.

But what if you're looking for a natural top-up? The nutrients in coffee grounds are genuinely there. Used grounds contain around 2 percent nitrogen by weight, with smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium alongside. They also add organic matter and hold moisture. Soil microbes break them down over time into something a plant can eventually take up. For a vegetable bed or home compost pile, that’s a decent contribution from something free.

The acidity claim is where the reasoning goes sideways. Brewing pulls the water-soluble acids out of the beans and into the cup, leaving spent grounds close to neutral, at around pH 6.5 to 6.8. Anyone using them to lower pH is banking on a property the grounds gave up in the machine. Whatever they do for an orchid, acidifying the medium isn’t it.

Are Coffee Grounds Suitable for Every Type of Orchid?

The answer hinges on one key distinction. Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis species) are epiphytes, as are Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and Vandas. In the wild, they cling to tree bark, with their roots hanging in moving air. Those roots are covered in a spongy layer called velamen, which soaks up water in bursts and then needs to dry out. Orchid bark mix in a pot is an attempt to recreate those airy conditions; providing nutrition is not its primary purpose.

Terrestrial orchids play by different rules entirely. Bletilla striata, the hardy ground orchid, grows in ordinary soil outdoors in USDA zones 5 to 9. Lady’s slippers (Cypripedium species) and ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes species) also grow in the ground. Their roots encounter organic matter much as those of other perennials do, making this a very different conversation from the one happening in a bark-filled pot.

Nearly every argument about coffee grounds and orchids comes down to two very different types of plant being discussed as though they were one.

Why You Shouldn't Add Grounds Straight to Orchid Bark

Wet coffee grounds behave like silt. Sprinkled into a pot, they filter down between the chunks and pack into the gaps, turning an open medium into something that stays damp long after it should have dried. A bag of orchid bark, such as this Rosy Soil mix, which contains biochar and mycorrhizae to improve plant health, is coarse for a reason, and filling those spaces defeats the whole design.

What follows is fairly predictable. Fungus gnats (Bradysia species) can breed in the damp organic layer, while white, fuzzy mold may spread across the surface within a couple of weeks. Roots that need air remain wet instead and can begin to rot from the outside in. Caffeine residue is another unknown: it has been shown to inhibit root growth in a number of plant species, and it is not well established where orchids fall on that list.

The Safest Way To Use Coffee Grounds for Orchids

For epiphytic orchids in bark, a heavily diluted and thoroughly strained coffee-ground “tea” avoids the problem of solid particles clogging the mix. It is still an experiment rather than a dependable part of orchid care, however, as its nutrient strength is impossible to judge and traces of caffeine may remain. I don't recommend it, but if you're determined to try it, then only use it very occasionally on already-damp roots, discard it if it smells sour or fermented, and flush the pot with plain water at the next watering. A specialist orchid fertilizer should remain the plant’s main source of nutrition.

For soil-grown orchids, composting the grounds first removes most of the risks. Around six months in a heap or a Costway dual-chamber compost tumbler from Walmart allows microbes to break the grounds down into something crumbly and stable. Much of the caffeine will have degraded, and the nitrogen has already passed through the microbial process that would otherwise need to happen in the pot.

Keep the ratio sensible while it cooks. Grounds need plenty of brown material alongside them – dry leaves or shredded cardboard – since a heap built largely from coffee can turn slimy rather than breaking down cleanly. Once finished, that compost can be used sparingly around terrestrial orchids growing in soil. It still has no business in a container of bark, no matter how well composted it is.

Can Terrestrial Orchids Benefit From Coffee Compost?

Here the answer turns cautiously positive. A hardy ground orchid in a border has real soil under it, and the microbial community that comes with it. Work finished compost lightly into the surface, and it behaves as it would around any perennial. Structure improves. Nutrients arrive slowly, and the ground holds moisture further into summer.

Restraint is the whole game, though. A thin scattering once or twice a season does it, kept clear of the crown and pseudobulbs where trapped moisture starts rot. Uncomposted grounds piled on thickly cause something different – soil microbes go after that fresh carbon and pull available nitrogen out of circulation while they work. The plant goes hungry through the exact weeks it's putting on growth. That reverses eventually, but it can cost a season of flowering first.

Signs Coffee Grounds Are Harming Your Orchid

The medium tells you first. Bark still wet several days after watering has lost its drainage, and a white or gray bloom across the surface confirms it. A sour, fermented smell from the pot says the same thing. Small dark flies rising when the plant gets moved point at gnats breeding in there.

Roots give the clearest verdict, and a clear pot makes them visible. Healthy orchid roots look plump and silvery green when wet. Anything brown and soft has drowned, and a root that collapses under light pressure is past saving. Above the pot, watch for leaves turning yellow from the lowest ones upward, or a plant that stops producing new growth entirely for a season. At that stage, repotting an orchid into fresh medium beats waiting to see whether it recovers.

Coffee Grounds Aren't a Substitute for Orchid Fertilizer

Orchid feeds are formulated around a limitation that explains this entire question. Many are urea-free because urea needs soil bacteria to convert it into a usable form, and a pot of bark simply doesn't hold enough of them. The same microbial gap that rules out urea rules out coffee grounds even more firmly.

For epiphytes in containers, a weak solution at every other watering covers what the plant needs, with an occasional plain water flush to clear accumulated salts. Anyone determined to use spent grounds should compost them properly and spread the results around terrestrial orchids outdoors. Moth orchids on a windowsill do better with something formulated for the job.

Orchid Essentials

Many of us are searching for ways to repurpose once discarded items, so why not use a coffee filter in the bottom of your plant pot? Utilizing a coffee filter for plants is a trendy solution to losing your potting soil. It actually makes some sense, and is a great way to use a spent item without clogging up the landfills.

It’s good to know that it isn’t just the coffee grounds that can be used to give your plants a lift! The ‘coffee filter in bottom of flower pot’ trick is a double win solution that can only be a good thing. Find out why it can benefit your plants.

Why Put a Coffee Filter in the Bottom of a Flower Pot?

The idea of a coffee filter plant pot drain hole cover probably stemmed from someone who hated the thought of tossing out the filter every day. It is also a way to circumvent the common wisdom of putting a layer of gravel in the bottom of a container. This garden myth has proven to be unwise because it allows moisture to accrue on the sides of the container instead of moving through the drainage hole.

We all know a container needs a drainage hole to help excess moisture evacuate from the pot. Without some drainage, plant roots will sit in that excess water and rot. But when that extra moisture moves through the hole, it takes with it some of the potting medium. Over time, the soil level is depleted and the plant will be sitting too high. Without enough soil to hold moisture and nutrients, the plant health can suffer.

This is solved when you repot, but repotting frequently disturbs plant roots and causes stress. So figuring out how to keep that soil in the container can be solved by a coffee filter in flower pot drainage areas. Using a coffee filter in a plant pot avoids waste, keeps that soil inside, and is a natural, compostable solution.

Don’t Drink Coffee? Try These Other Options

If your beverages do not include those of the caffeinated variety, using a coffee filter in flower plant pot drainage holes is not an option. Gardeners have used many things to slow percolation in a container. Gravel is common, although not wise, but so are many other things.

Porous items like landscape fabric, newspaper, compostable packing material, coconut coir, pine cones, wood chips, peat moss or even a paper towel will keep the soil inside the container while allowing excess water to leave. These freely draining types of materials allow the water to leach out accumulated salts and build ups to preserve soil and plant health. So if you aren’t a coffee drinker and the filter idea isn’t an option, try some of these other items.

What Not to Put in the Bottom of Pots

Even though we are often instructed to put certain things in the bottom of plant containers, some of them are a bad idea. Water will follow gravity from the top of the pot to the bottom. When you put inorganic, non-porous items like rock in the bottom, there is less soil to conduct that movement. There is also less soil for the plant roots to grow into. The diminished soil actually means water will remain at the bottom of the container.

This makes a waterlogged base of the pot where any roots will sit in too much moisture. This causes root rots and makes for a stinky container. So rocks and gravel are a no-no. Items like a layer of perlite or vermiculite might seem like a good idea. They are often part of potting soils and contribute to drainage, but they also hold moisture. So if there is a layer of these materials at the bottom of the container they will retain moisture, which can adversely affect root health.

How Else to Use Coffee Filters in the Garden

If you have covered all your container holes with coffee filters but the filters keep coming, use them up in these other ways. Coffee filters around veggie plants will reduce weed growth, conserve moisture and help regulate soil temperatures. They are essentially performing as a mulch. They will compost into the ground naturally. Rip up coffee filters and add them to your compost pile. They will add carbon which is necessary for balanced compost production.

Finally, start your seeds in used coffee filters. Dampen them and put the seed inside, folding the filter over. Place the filter in a plastic bag and seal it. Open it daily to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Moisten the filter as needed. In time, the seeds will germinate and are ready for planting.

If fresh brewed coffee is part of your morning routine, you might be interested in the benefits of mushroom coffee. With about half the caffeine of your regular cup of joe, mushroom coffee can reduce the jitters, make you feel less anxious, and help you sleep better.

What is Mushroom Coffee?

Mushroom coffee is a blend of ground coffee beans and mushroom powder. Known as functional mushrooms, these fungal species are valued for the health benefits they provide as well as their nutritional value.

From a nutritional standpoint, adding mushroom powder to coffee provides fiber and complex B vitamins to the daily diet. Most functional mushrooms contain niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, which work with the B vitamins in coffee beans to boost the body's ability to release energy from fat.

The health benefits of functional mushrooms come from antioxidants like polyphenols and carotenoids. These are believed to support immune health, reduce inflammation, and prevent vitamin A deficiency. These mushrooms also contain polysaccharides, which are complex carbohydrates that support intestinal flora.

So, what does mushroom coffee taste like? Surprisingly, a lot like regular coffee. The mushrooms give it an earthy flavor that is slightly more bitter than regular joe. More importantly, coffee drinkers can reduce their consumption of caffeine without turning to decaffeinated brews, which may contain trace amounts of the methylene chloride used in the caffeine extraction process.

How to Make Mushroom Coffee

Commercial mushroom coffee brands are available online, but often at a premium price. Creating your own mushroom coffee can not only save money but allows consumers to create a custom blend with the type and quality of ingredients they prefer.

Brewing mushroom coffee is as simple as purchasing mushroom powder and pairing it with an equal amount of your favorite brand of ground coffee. If you grind your own beans, add mushroom powder after the beans are ground. You can adjust the ratio of coffee to mushroom powder to suit your taste.

Then, simply brew your mushroom powder and coffee ground mix as you normally would. Use the same amount of mix as you'd use when brewing straight grounds. Mushroom coffee can be brewed in an old fashion percolator or a French press. Use it to create your favorite latte or cappuccino. Or add peppermint or pumpkin spices to create a seasonal mushroom coffee recipe you're sure to love.

Growing Your Own Mushrooms for Coffee

In lieu of buying these specialty mushrooms, you can grow or harvest your own. Here are the most popular functional mushrooms added to coffee:

Chaga – This fungus is not what one thinks of when it comes to mushrooms. Chaga is a very slow growing, hard black growth that looks like a burnt area on the birch trees they inhabit. Growing chaga at home is nearly impossible, but you may be able to locate and harvest wild chaga.

Lion's Mane – As the name suggests, Lion's Mane looks like a tuft of long white needles that resemblance a clump of hair. It can be grown inside on hardwood pellets or outdoors on a stump of beech or sugar maple.

Reishi – These shiny bracket fungi can be found in the wild on dead or dying hardwood trees. Reishi can also be cultivated both indoors and outside in shady spots with high humidity. Kits and inculcate are readily available online.

Turkey Tail – Emerging from living or dead trees, this thin shelf fungus has concentric rings of color that resemble the tails of wild turkeys. Turkey tail can be harvested in the wild or grown at home on hardwood stumps or recycled Christmas trees.

Unlike culinary mushrooms, functional mushrooms are hard and largely inedible in their natural state. Never fear, as learning how to make mushroom coffee powder is as simple as chopping these mushrooms into smaller pieces, then pulverizing them in a food processor or spice grinder. Store the resulting powder in a sealed jar at room temperature until needed.

Mushroom lovers can now grow their own fungi. There are kits available containing the growing medium and spawn, or the gardener can make their own substrate. One easy way to source the substrate is from your local coffee shop. Have the shop save their grounds and then bring them home to start a mushroom colony. When you grow mushrooms in coffee grounds it helps reduce waste while providing a perfect medium for the fungi to form.

Gardeners are always looking for ways to reduce waste. We compost our food scraps, save our grass clippings, and constantly look at ways to give back to our soil. Coffee grounds are a natural byproduct of enjoying a cup of Joe, but they don't need to be garbage. Growing mushrooms with coffee grounds provides the pasteurized substrate that spawn need to colonize and grow mycelium, which will eventually fruit.

Coffee Grounds Mushrooms

Mushrooms grown in coffee grounds experience a couple of benefits. Used grounds are pasteurized when the scalding water passes through them. This means there are no competitive fungi, bacteria, or other items in the material.

The second benefit is more for the planet than the fungi. When a cup of coffee is brewed, less than 1% of the biomass is used, so the rest is discarded. Using this resource prevents adding to landfills. The remaining 99% is still loaded with nutrients that mushrooms can use. Probably the easiest mushrooms to grow using coffee grounds are oyster mushrooms. There are several varieties from which to choose. Use a reputable supplier of spawn to ensure a good crop.

Tips on Growing Mushrooms

When growing oyster mushrooms, coffee grounds should be fresh. Use the grounds as fresh as possible, because over time, the grounds will repopulate with unwanted organisms. The grounds should be collected on the same day and used, or frozen for later use.

You may purchase a grow bag or make your own growing container. A large bucket or tub, sterilized, and with holes drilled into the sides is also an excellent DIY solution. Fill the container 2/3rds full of a mixture of spawn and coffee grounds. Mix the spawn evenly into the coffee substrate. Cover the container or fold the bag down to seal in moisture. Keep the container where the temperature hovers around 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 C.) in a dark location. Expect cottony growth in around 7 days. Mist the holes daily and wait for fruiting.

More Benefits of Using Coffee Grounds

As mentioned, the coffee should be fresh so it is free of other organisms. It should also ideally be organic. Coffee that is not organic many have been through chemical exposure or processes that can reduce the health of the grounds.

In addition to using up the extra biomass, using grounds removes the need to sterilize a substrate. Many mushrooms are grown on straw or sawdust which needs to be pasteurized with boiling water or steam. The process is messy and unwieldy in the home growing situation.

Coffee grounds are free, easy to source, and a quick way to get into mushroom growing. Growing your own mushrooms also reduces the carbon footprint necessary to get our food to the market and our tables. The process will turn you into an eco-warrior while providing delicious food for your family.

Rumors fly and the debate rages on. Are coffee grounds good for tomato plants? As modern-day gardeners, we often question gardening pearls-of-wisdom seen on the internet or handed down from previous generations. In this case, scientific studies have demonstrated whether or not tomatoes benefit from coffee grounds.

Fact or Fallacy: Do Tomatoes Like Coffee Grounds?

The short answer is yes and no. Like any garden additive, too much of a good thing can be detrimental. Consider what happens when too much fertilizer is applied to the lawn. Instead of a lush green carpet of grass, the turf turns brown. 

So yes, tomatoes can benefit from coffee grounds, but only in moderation. Here are some positive ways coffee grounds improve soil quality and growing conditions for tomatoes:

• Adds nutrients – Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as well as micronutrients such as boron, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc.
• Slow release of nitrogen – The proteins in coffee grounds must first be broken down by microbes before nitrogen is available for plant absorption. 
• Compatible pH – With an acidity measuring between 5.5 to 6.8, coffee grounds are within the ideal pH range for tomatoes.
• Compostable – With a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 20-24:1, coffee grounds can be added to compost. For optimal benefits, limit the coffee ground component to 20% of the total volume of organic materials. 
• Fungal suppression – Studies have indicated the microorganisms which feed upon coffee grounds suppress common tomato diseases, including Fusarium, Pythium and Sclerotinia.

How To Use Coffee Grounds For Tomato Plants

With an estimated 700 million cups (165,611,766 L.) of coffee being consumed by Americans each day, keeping this by-product of the brewing business out of landfills is an earth-friendly option. In addition to home and work sources, coffee shops and restaurants may supply gardeners with used grounds for the asking. 

Here are a few ways to use coffee grounds in the garden:

• Compost for tomatoes – When mixed with leaves or sawdust, compost made with coffee grounds provide essential nutrients for tomatoes while combating fungal diseases. Incorporate compost into the soil or use as mulch around tomato plants.
• Mulch – Spread a 1/2 inch (1.3 cm.) layer of fresh coffee grounds around tomato plants to retain moisture. Natural chemicals found in coffee grounds may suppress weed seed germination.
• Soil amendment – Planting tomatoes with coffee grounds encourages the growth of beneficial microorganisms. Earthworms consume the grounds and pull them deeper into the soil, which also improves soil structure.
• Coffee ground “tea” - Although, technically it would be coffee, this liquid fertilizer can be used to water tomato plants. Make the tea by adding two cups (473 mil.) of used coffee grounds to five gallons (18.9 L.) of water.

Again, moderation is the key when using coffee grounds on tomatoes. This java byproduct has phytotoxic qualities which can have an adverse effect on tomatoes when applied in excess. 

Recycling coffee pods can become a chore, especially if you drink lots of coffee every day and don’t have many ideas for reusing the pods. One seasonal idea is to include them in your gardening efforts by starting seeds in coffee pods. You can also use them to root small cuttings from bigger plants. You’ll find they’re just the right size for both.

When using a K cup seed starter, keep the paper liner in place. All parts of the pod except the tear off lid are useful in the seed starting process.

Coffee Grounds in the Soil

Mix the used coffee grounds into part of your seed starting soil if you wish to try using them for this purpose. Used coffee grounds contain nitrogen that’s good for plants, as well as acid, which is good for certain plants like tomatoes, roses and blueberries. Or, use the grounds around plants already growing outside, just mixing them into the top layer of soil. You may want to just dispose of the grounds, but you’ll still have made a great recycling effort by creating coffee pod planters.

The pods have sufficient drainage from the holes already into them by your coffee maker. If you tend to get a little heavy-handed when watering your seeds, punch another hole in the bottom. Remember, when you’re sprouting seeds, they need a soil mix that is consistently moist, but not wet. If extra drain holes help you accomplish this, feel free to add them. There are plants that take up water and absorb nutrients better when growing in consistently moist soil.

Labels for the Pods

Label each pod individually. Ice cream sticks or small labels can be easily moved from the pod into a bigger container as the plant grows. Numerous labels and decals to use for this purpose are sold inexpensively on Etsy or the hobby aisle in many stores.

Get creative and find labels for free around the house. A broken set of blinds has the potential to label 100 plants if you cut them to a certain size. 

Find a plastic tray or pan that’s the right size to hold your finished pods. It’s much easier to move them as needed if they’re all together. Get all your needed items together before you start planting your seeds into k cups.

Planting Seeds in Coffee Pods

When you have everything together, collect your seeds and fill the pods with soil. Decide ahead of time how many cups you’ll devote to each plant. Moisten the soil before adding it to the pods or water it after planting. Read the directions on the seed packet to see how deeply to plant each seed. Using more than one seed per pod makes the best chance of sprouting one in each container.

Locate your unsprouted seeds in a bright, shaded area at first. Increase sun and turn the tray as seeds sprout and grow. Harden off the seedlings gradually, and move them to bigger containers when the sprouts have grown three or four true leaves. Most plants benefit from being transplanted at least once.

If you are looking for substitutes to coffee, look no further than your own backyard. That’s right, and if you don’t have the plants already, they are easy to grow. If you’re not a green thumb, many of these alternative “roots” are available at local health food stores.

Growing Coffee Substitutes in the Garden

Online bloggers who have tried these alternative coffee plants say, while they are delicious, they don’t taste like coffee. However, they are warm, aromatic, tasty, and sweet if you add honey or sugar. So, they hit some of the other coffee notes, besides taste.

Here are a few of the coffee-like substitutes that show up regularly on “alternatives to coffee” lists. These drinks can also be added to your regular cup of java to enhance or extend the coffee. For a starting point, use two tablespoons of ground roots per one cup of water when preparing coffee. Note: Due to lack of comprehensive studies, pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid “wild” alternatives unless discussing with their doctor.

• Black tea – If you are reducing your intake of caffeine but still want a little pick-me-up, consider tea, which contains antioxidants. An 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee has 95 to 165 milligrams of caffeine, according to the Mayo Clinic. An 8 ounce cup of brewed black tea has 25 to 48 milligrams of caffeine.
• Chai tea – If you like spice, Chai tea is black tea spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, and cloves. For a latte, just add warm milk or cream to taste. You can buy chai tea or experiment making your own by adding the spices yourself. Brew, then strain.
• Chicory plant – Of all the alternative coffee drinks, chicory (Cichorium intybus) is cited as tasting closest to regular coffee, but without the caffeine. The roots are cleaned, dried, ground, roasted, and brewed for a “woodsy, nutty” flavor. Collect roots before the plant flowers, if possible. Studies show its fiber may improve digestive health and it contains several nutrients, such as manganese and vitamin B6. However, people who are allergic to ragweed or birch pollen should avoid drinking chicory coffee, as there may be a negative reaction.
• Dandelion plant – Yes. You read that correctly. That pesky weed (Taraxacum officinale) in the lawn makes a tasty coffee drink. Many people already use the leaves and flowers in salads and may not know the root is usable too. Roots are collected, cleaned, dried, ground, and roasted. Collect the roots before the plant flowers, if possible. Bloggers say the dandelion coffee is best of all.
• Golden milk – Also known as turmeric, this coffee-like substitute has a golden color. Added to that are spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. You might also add cardamom, vanilla, and honey for a comforting drink. Warm the following ingredients in a saucepan on low to medium heat: 1 cup (237 ml.) milk with ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. Add honey to taste, if desired. Stir frequently.
• Kentucky coffeetree – If you have a Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) in your yard, there you go. Grind and roast the beans for a coffee-like drink. Word of caution: Parts of the tree contain a toxic alkaloid called cytisine. When properly roasted, the alkaloid in the seeds and pods is neutralized.

Whatever your reason for cutting back or eliminating coffee, give these alternatives a try.

Have you ever considered growing plants in a coffee table? Filling a glass terrarium table with colorful and hardy succulents makes an excellent conversation starter. A succulent coffee table also provides the benefits of indoor plants without the mess of fallen leaves and spilled soil. If this sounds intriguing, here's how to make a terrarium table for your indoor living space.

DIY Coffee Table Terrarium 

The first step in creating a succulent coffee table is to buy or build a terrarium table. You can purchase a terrarium table online or find detailed instructions for building your own DIY coffee table terrarium. The latter does require some carpentry and woodworking skills.

If you're crafty, you could also repurpose a garage sale find into a beautiful succulent coffee table. If you're wondering how to make a terrarium table from scratch or an old glass top table, here are a few must-haves to include in your design:

• Waterproof box – Built from sheet acrylic and glued with adhesive, these plastic boxes hold the growing medium and prevent water leakage.
• Removable lid – In order to care for the succulents, the waterproof box must be easily accessible. The entire tabletop could be hinged, the acrylic top could be recessed with finger holes, or it could slide in and out along routed grooves.
• Ventilation – To prevent excess humidity, leave a gap between the sides and top of the acrylic box or drill several holes near the top of the box.

How to Make a Terrarium Table

Succulents and cacti are excellent choices when growing plants in a coffee table. They require less water, and most species have a slower growth rate. Choose a cactus potting soil mix or layer the waterproof box with gravel, potting soil, and activated charcoal to create an ideal growing medium for these easy-to-care-for plants.

Succulents are available in an array of leaf textures, colors, and shapes. Use these variations to create an intriguing geometric design or make a fairy garden display using miniatures. Here's several genera of succulents to consider:

• Echeveria – These beautiful rosette-shaped succulents are available in a wide array of pastel colors. When putting plants in a coffee table, choose smaller varieties of Echeveria such as 'Doris Taylor' or 'Neon Breakers.' 
• Lithops – More commonly called living stones, lithops give a pebbly appearance to the succulent coffee table. Use them when creating a fairy garden coffee table display or choose a variety of colors and textures to showcase this genus of succulents.
• Sempervivum – Hens and chicks or houseleeks, as they are sometimes called, have a rosette- shape and readily propagate by offset shoots. Sempervivum are shallow rooted succulents and will thrive in a shorter glass terrarium table. They rarely exceed 4 inches (10 cm.) in width.
• Haworthia – With many species having spike-shaped, white striped leaves, haworthia are eye-catching among the plants in a coffee table terrarium. Many varieties only attain 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) at maturity.
• Echinocactus and Ferocactus – These genera of barrel cacti can grow quite large in the wild but make excellent terrarium plants due to their slow growth. Widely available, echinocactus and ferocactus species generally have large spines and vary in the number and appearance of their ribs.

As the summer temperatures arrive, many people flock to concerts, cookouts, and outdoor festivals. While the longer daylight hours may signal fun times ahead, they also mark the beginning of mosquito season. Without protection from these pests, outdoor activities can quickly come to a halt. For this reason, you may begin seeking solutions for getting rid of mosquitoes.

Coffee Grounds for Mosquito Control?

In many regions of the world, mosquitoes are among the most troublesome pests. In addition to spreading a plethora of diseases, these insects can cause allergic reactions and a great deal of distress. Without protection from their bites, many people may find outdoor activities to be insufferable.

Traditional methods of mosquito control include the use of repellent sprays, citronella candles, and even special lotions. Although some commercial mosquito repellents are effective, the cost of using them on a regular basis can be quite expensive. Additionally, one may feel cause for concern regarding the products’ ingredients and possible impact on your health. With this in the back of one’s mind, a number of individuals have started looking for alternative options for mosquito control – such as the use of mosquito-repelling plants or coffee mosquito repellent (yes, coffee).

The internet abounds with possible natural mosquito control solutions. With so many to choose from, it is often difficult to determine which methods have validity and which do not. One specific viral post notes the use of coffee grounds for mosquito control, but can coffee repel mosquitoes?

When it comes to mosquitoes and coffee, there is some evidence that it may be somewhat successful in repelling these pests. While coffee mosquito repellent is not as simple as sprinkling coffee grounds throughout the yard, studies have found that water containing coffee or used grounds deterred adult mosquitoes from laying eggs in those locations.

That being said, while the coffee-water mixture did reduce the number of larvae present, it made little difference in the prevention of adult mosquitoes in the space. If considering the use of coffee grounds outdoors in this manner, it is important to thoroughly research. While coffee grounds are a popular additive to compost piles, it is important to remember that they may not provide the mosquito-repelling results you’re hoping for.

For a diehard coffee drinker like me, a cup of Joe is a necessity in the morning. As I am a gardener, I’ve heard tales about using coffee grounds in your vegetable garden. Is this a myth, or can you grow vegetables in coffee grounds? Read on to find out if coffee grounds are good for vegetables, and if so, all about growing veggies in coffee grounds.

Can You Grow Vegetables in Coffee Grounds?

It’s true fellow coffeeholics! You can use coffee grounds for vegetables. Our morning elixir is not only a morning perk but can be beneficial to our gardens too. So how are coffee grounds good for vegetables? I’m sure many of us consider coffee to be acidic but that is actually a fallacy. The grounds are not all that acidic; in fact, they are close to pH neutral-- between 6.5 and 6.8. How can this be, you ask? The acidity in coffee is restricted to the brew itself. Once water passes through the grounds when percolating, it essentially flushes most of the acid out. Coffee grounds also contain 2 percent nitrogen by volume but that doesn’t mean they can replace a nitrogen rich fertilizer. So how do you use coffee grounds for vegetables?

Growing Veggies in Coffee Grounds

Too much of anything can careen onto negative ground. This is true of using coffee grounds in your vegetable garden. To use the grounds in your garden, incorporate about 1 inch (2.5 cm.) (up to 35 percent grounds to soil ratio) directly into the soil or spread the grounds directly onto the soil and cover with leaves, compost, or bark mulch. Till the coffee grounds into the soil to a depth of between 6 and 8 inches (15-20 cm.). What will this do for the veggie garden? It will improve the availability of copper, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Also, each cubic yard (765 l.) of grounds affords 10 pounds (4.5 kg.) of slowly released nitrogen to be available to the plants over a long time period. Additionally, the nearly infinitesimal acidity may benefit alkaline soils, as well as acid loving plants like camellias and azaleas. All in all, coffee grounds are good for vegetables and other plants, as they encourage the growth of microorganisms in the soil and improve tilth.

Other Uses for Coffee Grounds in the Garden

Coffee grounds aren’t just for growing vegetables, they make a great addition to the compost or worm bins. In the compost pile, layer one-third leaves, one-third grass clippings, and one-third coffee grounds. Throw in the coffee filters too as an added carbon source. Tear them up first to hasten decomposition. Don’t add more than 15 to 20 percent of the total compost volume or the compost pile may not heat up enough to decompose. It may take three months or longer for it to completely decompose. Worms apparently have a weakness for coffee as well. Again, too much of a good thing can turn against you, so add just a cup or so of the grounds each week or every other week. Use coffee grounds as a snail and slug barrier. The grounds are abrasive much like diatomaceous earth. Make a coffee ground infusion to use as a liquid fertilizer or foliar feed. Add 2 cups (.47 L.) of coffee grounds to a 5 gallon (19 L.) bucket of water and let it steep for a few hours to overnight. If you are an avid coffee consumer and/or you are getting large quantities of grounds from a local coffee shop, store them in a plastic trash bin until you can use them.

If you normally toss your morning coffee grounds in the garbage, wouldn’t it be nice if you could reuse them instead? They make a good “green” component for compost, but they have another use that’s easier and simpler: applying to your lawn.

Coffee grounds lawn care is a little more complicated than simply scattering grounds over the grass, but not much. A little effort can help convert your cup o' joe scraps into effective organic fertilizer.

Many gardeners know to use coffee grounds for plants, but few think of the benefits for grass. Here’s everything you need to know about why, when, and how to use coffee grounds for grass and lawns.

Are Coffee Grounds Good for Lawns?

First, it’s important to understand why you might add coffee grounds to your turf. Is it simply a way to get rid of this organic waste, or is it actually good for the grass? Yes, coffee grounds can be good for your lawn:

• Nitrogen. Coffee grounds make a good green element in compost because they are rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the three macronutrients that plants need to grow. Nitrogen promotes leafy growth, which means it is especially essential for healthy grass growth.
• Additional Nutrients. Coffee supplies more than just nitrogen. The grounds also have phosphorus and potassium, the other two macronutrients plants need. Additionally, the grounds have trace amounts of micronutrients that will benefit your grass.
• Slow-Release Fertilizer. You can always use a commercial fertilizer on your lawn, but coffee grounds are more natural and release nutrients more slowly. Most commercial products provide a quick dump of nutrients, while coffee grounds break down and release them more slowly, providing sustained nutrition over time.
• Support Earthworms. Earthworms are essential to healthy, rich soil. They break down organic material, making nutrients more available to plants and aerating the soil. Earthworms love coffee grounds and will go to work right away, breaking them down in your lawn’s soil.
• Support Microbes. Coffee grounds on your lawn will also support beneficial microbes in the soil. While some microbes are harmful or cause disease, many are necessary components of healthy soil. Your grounds feed these beneficial microbes, which in turn help create good soil structure and drainage.
• Control Pests. Finally, one proven benefit of coffee grounds in soil is slug and snail deterrence. They can be killed by caffeine poisoning, but will also avoid areas with coffee grounds and caffeine. Grounds can be an important strategy in reducing slug and snail damage to grass and other plants.

How to Apply Coffee Grounds to Your Lawn

You can use coffee grounds on your lawn at any time during the growing season, typically from spring through fall. Spring and summer are the best times, as this is when the grass is actively growing. You don’t need to save up buckets of grounds. Scatter them daily or weekly to start feeding your lawn, improving soil, and managing pests. If you have areas with problematic snails or slugs, start there.

Let the used coffee grounds cool and dry off a little before using them. Sprinkle them over the lawn, aiming to apply about a cup per square yard of turf. Water the area gently after dispersing the grounds. This will help them settle into the thatch and actually get down to the soil. You can use a colander or a spreader, like this Chapin 8706G Spreader from Amazon, to broadcast the grounds evenly.

Take time to spread the grounds evenly rather than dropping clumps on the lawn. Alternatively, you can dump the grounds in several piles and then use a rake to spread them out over the desired area of cover. Something like this Corona GT 3050 Extendable Handle Rake from Amazon works effectively without damaging the grass.

Another way to use coffee grounds to boost the health of your lawn is to add them to a home compost pile. High-quality compost needs a mix of brown (carbon-rich) and green (nitrogen-rich) materials. Coffee grounds can be part of your green components. Mix them into the compost pile, and when finished, apply the compost to the lawn as a top dressing.

Mistakes to Avoid When Using Coffee Grounds on Lawn

Coffee grounds are not a miracle fix or fertilizer, but they can be a useful addition to lawn care if you do it right and avoid common mistakes. The typical mistake many gardeners make is overdoing it. A thick layer, or piles of coffee grounds on grass can smother it and prevent water from getting to the roots.

Layering grounds too thickly is especially problematic if the grounds are still very wet. They don’t need to be totally dry, but the drier they are, the easier they are to disperse and spread.

Another potential mistake is assuming that coffee replaces fertilizer. Coffee improves soil and adds some nutrients, but not enough to completely feed your grass. It may lessen the amount of fertilizer you need, but it should not be a replacement.

Only use spent coffee grounds for your lawn. Fresh grounds that have not yet been boiled are too acidic. Some of that acidity drops as the coffee is brewed.

Coffee grounds are useful in the garden in more ways than one. If you like how they improve your lawn soil, consider adding them to garden beds as well. Keep the same tips in mind and avoid overdoing it. A little goes a long way.

Coffee plants produce not only the all-important coffee bean, but they make terrific houseplants too. In their native tropical habitat, coffee plants grow up to 15 feet (4.5 m.) or more, so pruning a coffee plant is integral when growing them indoors.

Information on Coffee Plants

Before we explore how to prune a coffee plant, a little background on Coffea arabica is in order. A member of the Ruiaceae family, one of 90 in the genus Coffea, the coffee plant is an evergreen, perennial shrub with dark green, glossy leaves decorated with ruffled edges and pleasantly aromatic white blossoms. Grow this specimen as an attractive houseplant, or if you aren't shy on patience, for its fruit, which will take about four years to produce anything approximating a decent cup of coffee. Hailing from Southern Asia and tropical regions of Africa, temperatures should be kept at 70 F. (21 C.) or higher during daylight hours and in the mid to lower 60's (15-20 C.) at night with a good dose of humidity. Make sure the plant has well-draining soil, filtered sun, and moderate (never soggy) irrigation. Although coffee plants will produce fruit without fertilization, for the most optimal fruiting and quality, they should be fed every two weeks from March to October and thereafter each month. A soluble, all-purpose type of fertilizer is recommended for use. Coffee plants can be obtained through most online nurseries. Purchase the cultivar Coffea arabica ‘Nana' if you desire a plant with more compact growth, thus reducing the necessity and frequency of cutting back on coffee plants.

How to Prune a Coffee Plant

Due to their ability to attain a height of between 10 and 15 feet (3-4.5 m.), not manageable in most homes, pruning of coffee houseplants is a necessity, not an option. Never fear; pruning coffee plants indoors is a simple process. When cutting back the coffee plant, remember this plant is very forgiving, and pruning back harshly won't harm the plant at all. When pruning a coffee plant on a commercial plantation, trees are kept down to an easy-to-harvest 6 feet (1.8 m.). This may be too large for your home and may necessitate more severe pruning of coffee plants indoors. Pruning a coffee plant may only require minimal pinching of new growth or it may involve cutting the plant way back. Pinching back the plant will not only restrain the tree's height but will encourage a bushier appearance. The coffee plant should be pruned back during the spring months to maintain a fuller, bushy appearance and generally shape the plant. Using clean, sharp pruning shears, cut the stem at a 45-degree angle, ¼-inch (6.4 mm) above where the leaf attaches to the stem (axil), paying attention to top growth to retard size. Remove any suckers at this time as well as any dead or dying limbs while leaving the largest branches. Cuttings taken from the plant during pruning are difficult to propagate; however, if you want to make the attempt, use the young stems prior to hardening. Coffee plants make an easy, attractive plant that with a minimum of care you will be enjoying for many years.

Coffee, how do I love thee, let me count the ways: black drip, drip with cream, latte, cappuccino, macchiato, Turkish, and just plain espresso. Many of us, unless you're a tea drinker, relish our cup of Joe and some of us -- I'm not naming names -- rely on a cup of coffee just to stagger out of bed in the morning. For those of us with this shared love, the idea of growing coffee bean plants has exciting possibilities. So how do you germinate coffee tree seeds? Read on to find out how to grow coffee from seed.

How to Grow Coffee from Coffee Plant Seeds

Ideally, to grow coffee bean plants, you should start with a freshly picked coffee cherry, but most of us don't live in a coffee producing country, so this is a bit problematic. If, however, you do happen to reside in a coffee producing country, pick ripe coffee cherries by hand, pulp them, wash, and ferment in a container until the pulp flops off. After this, rewash, discarding any beans that float. Then dry the beans on a mesh screen in open, dry air, but not direct sun. The beans should be slightly soft and moist inside and dry on the outside; bite into it to find out. Since most of us don't live in a coffee-producing region, green coffee can be bought from a green coffee supplier. Make sure it is from a fresh, recent crop. Although the bean can be germinated for almost four months, surer results are had if fresh. You will probably want to plant many seeds to get one plant; they're kind of finicky. Fresh seeds germinate in 2 ½ months while older seeds take about 6 months.

How to Sprout Coffee Seeds

Once you have your seeds, soak them in water for 24 hours, drain, and then sow in damp sand or wet vermiculite, or put the seed between moist coffee sacks. After you germinate coffee tree seeds, remove them from the medium. Place the seed flat side down in a hole made in loam soil with a high humus content to which rotted manure, bone meal or dried blood can be added. You can also try a lightweight, porous soil. Don't press the soil down. Place ½ inch (1 cm.) of mulched grass atop to conserve moisture but remove it when the seed has germinated. Water seeds daily but not too much, just moist. Once your seeds have germinated, the plant can either be left or transplanted in a porous, low pH soil with a high nitrogen content. Orchid fertilizer may be used sparingly on the coffee plant to maintain the low pH and add minerals. Place the plant indoors under artificial lighting. Water once a week and allow to drain, and again during the week with fertilizer. Keep the soil moist and well drained. Patience is now a definite virtue. It takes two to three years for the tree to flower and possible cherries to be produced. To encourage flowering, reduce watering at the start of winter for the successive two to three months. Once spring begins, water the plant well to shock it into bloom. Oh, and then you still aren't done. Once the cherries mature, you can harvest, pulp, ferment, dry roast and then ah, finally enjoy a nice cup of drip. It takes some painstaking effort to mimic tropical high altitude conditions where coffee bean trees thrive, but well worth the effort, even if you don't get the finest quality java out of your tree. There's always the corner coffee shop.

Many of us start the day with some sort of coffee pick me up, whether it's a plain cup of drip or a double macchiato. The question is, will watering plants with coffee give them that same “perk?”

Can You Water Plants with Coffee?

Coffee used as a fertilizer is not exactly a new idea. Many gardeners add coffee grounds to compost piles where it decomposes and mixes with other organic matter to create some fantastic, nourishing soil. Of course, this is done with grounds, not the actual cold cup of coffee sitting here at my desk.

So, can you water your plants with coffee proper? Coffee grounds are about 2 percent nitrogen by volume, nitrogen being an important component for growing plants. Composting grounds introduces microorganisms that break down and release the nitrogen as it raises the temperature of the pile and aids in killing weed seeds and pathogens. Very useful stuff! Brewed coffee also contains measurable amounts of magnesium and potassium, which are building blocks for plant growth as well.

Therefore, it seems a logical conclusion that watering plants with coffee might indeed be very beneficial. Of course, you wouldn't want to use the cup sitting in front of you. Most of us add a little cream, flavoring, and sugar (or sugar substitute) to our Joe. While real sugar would not pose a problem to the plants, milk or artificial creamer won't do your plants any good. Who knows what effect any of the many artificial sweeteners on the market would have on plants? I'm thinking, not good. Be sure to dilute before watering plants with coffee and don't add anything else to it.

How to Water Plants with Coffee

Now that we have ascertained that we should use diluted coffee for plant fertilizer, how do we do it? Coffee has a pH of from 5.2 to 6.9 depending on the variety and preparation. The lower the pH, the more acid; in other words, coffee is pretty acidic. Most plants grow best in slightly acid to neutral pH (5.8 to 7). Tap water is slightly alkaline with a pH greater than 7. Therefore, using diluted coffee for plants can increase the acidity of the soil.

Traditional chemical fertilizers, the addition of sulfur, or allowing leaves to decompose on soil surfaces are methods to decrease soil pH levels. Now you have another option. Allow your plain brewed coffee to cool and then dilute it with the same amount of cool water as coffee. Then simply water acid-loving plants such as:

• African violets
• Azaleas
• Amaryllis
• Cyclamen
• Hydrangea
• Bromeliad
• Gardenia
• Hyacinth
• Impatiens
• Aloe
• Gladiolus
• Phalaenopsis orchid
• Roses
• Begonias
• Ferns

Water with the diluted coffee just as you would with plain tap water. Don't use this to water plants that do not like acidic soil. Don't water every time with the diluted coffee fertilizer. Plants will sicken or die if the soil becomes too acidic. Yellowing leaves may be a sign of too much acid in the soil, in which case, abandon the coffee irrigation and repot plants in containers.

Coffee works great on many types of flowering indoor plants but can be used outside as well. Diluted coffee adds just enough organic fertilizer to encourage bushier, healthier plants.

Did you know that the same plant that grows coffee beans also makes a great houseplant? Considered to be among the easiest and hardiest of houseplants, the coffee plant is great for both experienced and beginner gardeners. Not only is coffee plant care easy, but the plant itself is lovely and makes a wonderful addition to the home.

How to Grow Coffee Plant

Coffee plants prefer bright, but indirect, light. This means that they should be placed near a window but not directly in the window itself. They also cannot take temperatures below freezing and will not do well in temperatures that stay consistently below 65 degrees F. (18 C.). Keep them away from drafts in the winter. When growing coffee plants, the soil needs to stay moist, but not soaking wet. Also, make sure that both the soil and the pot your coffee plant is growing in have good drainage. The humidity around the plant will need to stay high as well. Setting your coffee plant on a water-filled pebble tray will help with humidity. Like many houseplants, a coffee plant will need less water in the winter than in the summer. Your coffee plant care routine can also include light fertilizing with a balanced fertilizer once every to two three months in the spring and summer. Keep in mind that a happy coffee plant can grow up to 6 feet (2 m.) tall. Therefore, provide enough space for the plant or make pruning a regular part of caring for your coffee plant. If you choose to prune your coffee plant, the best time is early spring. Many people wonder if they will actually be able to harvest coffee beans when growing coffee plants. If the coffee plant is grown in ideal conditions indoors, it will eventually flower when it matures, which can take three to five years. Even in the best of conditions, however, you can only expect a few flowers to form, but, if you hand pollinate them, they will produce the berries that contain coffee beans. You may not get enough to brew a whole pot of coffee, but you may get enough to give roasting a few coffee beans a fun try.

A cup of coffee in the morning can perk you up and give you energy to face the day. So it’s tempting to wonder if coffee grounds on plants can also be beneficial. But are coffee grounds good for the garden? In fact, used coffee grounds for plants can get tossed straight into the compost with great results. But it’s not a great idea to put them directly on the soil.

Coffee is the number two world commodity after crude oil, so it makes sense to wonder if all those spent coffee grounds can be reused in the garden. While used coffee grounds contain nitrogen, it is not readily available to plants if you apply it directly to soil. In fact, researchers have determined that when spent coffee grounds are applied directly to city vegetable gardens, plant growth can even be reduced.

However, there are ways to get the nitrogen from coffee grounds into a form accessible to plants. The way to do it is via the compost pile. If you're learning how to compost, here we show you how to add another dimension to the pile using coffee grounds.

How To Use Coffee Grounds in The Garden

If you want to use coffee grounds in your garden, the best way is to compost them. It is tempting to simply pile the spent grounds on the soil beneath your plants, but this is not a good idea. Coffee grounds, fresh and used, can prevent moisture and air from moving in and through the soil. Their fine texture means they compact readily. Just bear in mind that uncomposted coffee grounds are not a natural nitrogen fertilizer. However, they can be blended into soil to improve its texture.

Composting Your Coffee Grounds

Many gardeners make their own compost in compost heaps or bins, like this East Oak 43-Gal Compost Tumbler from Amazon, in the backyard. Essentially, this involves piling up green material like vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and garden with brown material like dried leaves. Over time, with water and sunlight, this material heats up and then breaks down into compost.

Composting coffee grounds is entirely possible, as long as you don’t add so much that it comprises more than 20-35 percent of the compost pile material. If you add more coffee grounds as compost, it can prevent the whole lot from decomposing. Composting coffee grounds is as easy as throwing the used coffee grounds onto your compost pile. Used coffee filters can be composted as well.

With pH levels from mildly acidic to alkaline (something that you can check with kits such as the Rapitest Soil Test Kit from Amazon), coffee grounds are considered green compost material. They decompose well as long as you remember to mix the whole thing with brown material like leaves and sawdust.

Using Coffee Grounds as Fertilizer

Although it’s not a good idea to pile used coffee grounds on soil, it’s fine to work some into the soil during planting. Experts recommend that, as you do this, you add a nitrogen fertilizer. Microbes in the soil will break down the coffee grounds to make the nitrogen available for the plants. While that happens, the additional fertilizer will be a source of nitrogen for them.

Another way to use coffee grounds in the soil is to make a coffee ground tea. This isn’t difficult. Simply mix a couple of cups of spent coffee grounds to a five-gallon bucket of water. Let the mixture sit overnight, then use it as a liquid fertilizer.

Note that some plants respond better to coffee grounds than others. Consider using coffee grounds as a fertilizer on tomatoes, cabbage, soybeans, fruit trees, corn, roses and camellias. However, don’t use directly on the soil when you are growing beans or bean-related plants.

Many people think coffee grounds lower the pH (or raise the acid level) of soil, which is good for acid-loving plants. This is only true for unwashed coffee grounds, though. Fresh coffee grounds are acidic. Used coffee grounds are neutral. If you rinse your used coffee grounds, they will have a near-neutral pH of 6.5 and will not affect the acid levels of the soil.

Using Fresh Coffee Grounds

While it's not always recommended, using fresh coffee grounds on plants shouldn't be a problem in some situations. As mentioned, you can sprinkle fresh coffee grounds around acid-loving plants like azaleas, hydrangeas, blueberries and lilies. Root crops like radishes and carrots also respond favorably -- especially when mixed with the soil at planting time.

The use of fresh coffee grounds are also thought to suppress weeds, having some allelopathic properties. Certain fungal pathogens may be suppressed as well.

Frequently Asked Questions