What indoor plants like coffee grounds added to their soil? None of them do. You may be doing a huge disservice to your plants by adding coffee grounds to your soil without a good understanding of how and why gardeners have been using them.
Why do gardeners use coffee grounds?
Gardeners use coffee grounds to increase the amount of beneficial bacteria and fungus in their soil. This bacteria and fungi are beneficial because they help in decomposing organic matter which acts as a fertilizer to your plants. These microorganisms need added nitrogen to provide energy for their reproduction. This means that gardeners always add coffee grounds in combination with a nitrogen heavy fertilizer for enhanced growth of their crops.
With more beneficial microorganisms in their soil compost and organic matter decomposes faster. With the help of insects and other decomposers outdoors which provides an amazing balance for healthy plants.
Why you shouldn’t use coffee grounds indoors?
You shouldn’t use coffee grounds indoors. Most indoor houseplant soils don’t have organic matter for you to break down. Unless you have an indoor worm compost that you add to your store bought potting soil, you do not have a complex organic soil like you may have in a garden. It’s best to avoid using them all together when wondering what indoor plants like coffee grounds.
Most indoor potting soils are peat based and do not contain organic materials. With no live organic materials, there is nothing to break down which leaves your coffee grounds. At best it’s doing nothing, and at worst, locking your plant out of absorbing other essential nutrients.
Save your coffee grounds for your outdoor compost. Focus on using a balanced fertilizer like a Miracle-Gro slow release fertilizer to effectively feed your plant. Outdoor plants like coffee grounds because they have complex soil environments. Indoor plants tend to have less complex soil environments because of their soil.