Coffee grounds are a well-known and free home remedy that has many uses in the garden. For example, it serves as a sustainable fertilizer. Read here whether coffee grounds are also suitable for fertilizing the Christmas rose.
In a nutshell
- Coffee grounds good fertilizer for Christmas roses
- must not be fertilized too often
- correct application essential to prevent unwanted consequences
- only use well-dried coffee grounds
- alternatively administer over irrigation water
Table of contents
- Coffee grounds for Christmas roses
- Best fertilizer times
- Use coffee grounds correctly
- Alternative: pour the coffee grounds
- frequently asked Questions
Coffee grounds for Christmas roses
Coffee grounds included for christmas roses (Helleborus niger) valuable ingredients that are also found in expensive commercial fertilizers. In addition to nutrients such as phosphorus (as a vital energy source and store), potassium (for many metabolic processes) and nitrogen (for the growth of the green parts of the plant) also contains coffee grounds tannic acid. This lowers the pH of the soil.
Since Christmas roses have a slightly acidic Soil with a pH around 6.0, coffee grounds are ideal for maintaining the acidic environment to lower a too high pH value.
A notice: If you fertilize coffee grounds correctly and at the specified frequency, you should not give any other fertilizer in addition. This would do more harm than good.
Best fertilizer times
You should not fertilize Christmas roses too often and not in too large quantities with coffee grounds, in order not to cause an oversupply and too acidic soil. Therefore, when fertilizing, follow the instructions below:
- first fertilization at flowering time in February
- alternatively, fertilization is also possible in late autumn/early winter before the start of flowering
- second fertilization in midsummer, when fresh roots form and bud formation is imminent
- Fertilize only slightly a third time in an "emergency" when the soil pH is too high
Use coffee grounds correctly
In order for coffee grounds to have their full effect and not harm the Christmas roses when fertilizing, you must pay attention to the correct preparation, dosage and application. How to use the home remedy correctly:
- Allow coffee grounds to cool after brewing
- Spread out on kitchen paper or a plate and let dry (otherwise there is a risk of mold)
- Dosage: about a coffee cup full of coffee grounds per Christmas rose
- Distribute the coffee grounds evenly around the Christmas roses
- Work lightly into the soil with a rake
Alternative: pour the coffee grounds
Pouring coffee grounds is only suitable for Christmas roses that have their Location have in the garden. Indoor plants have an increased risk of mold growth. The plant could be seriously damaged.
The pouring of coffee grounds is used when quick help is required for a very basic soil. Due to the water mix, the coffee grounds are quickly absorbed into the soil and act accordingly faster. That's how it's done:
- two teaspoons of coffee grounds per ten liters of water
- stir until granules are dissolved
- Repeat two to three times seven days apart
Tip: So that even occasional coffee drinkers have enough coffee grounds when fertilizing, they can collect and store them all year round. Simply dry, fill into sealable containers and place in a dry, cool and dark place.
frequently asked Questions
Egg shells provide an inexpensive lime fertilizer for the lime-loving Christmas rose. It doesn't matter whether it's the shells of boiled or raw eggs. Crush two to three eggshells and add them to the irrigation water. Then water as usual, allowing the small pieces of shell to reach the surface of the earth. There they release limescale again when watering again. However, eggshells should only be given twice a year as an alternative to coffee grounds.
Plants should not be fertilized with coffee grounds, if they are acid-sensitive and lime-intolerant. This applies to all specimens that require a soil with a pH value of 7.0 or more. Coffee grounds would lower the pH and the plants would have trouble absorbing nutrients. These plants include, for example, asters (Aster), chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum), hyacinths (Hyacinthus) and crocuses (Crocus).
If the Christmas rose lacks water, it quickly hangs its head. This can also be caused by a natural protective function of the plant. In doing so, it squeezes out moisture to avoid bursting from frost. But it can also be a sign of calcium deficiency. As a result, more leaves are formed, the flowers are supplied with less energy and their heads droop. This can be due to too high a dose of coffee grounds fertilization.
There are no special features Christmas roses in a pot to note. They can be fertilized with coffee grounds in the same way as bedding plants. However, fertilizing Christmas roses as indoor plants is not recommended at all.
