Can you fertilize indoor flowers with coffee grounds: benefit or myth
When choosing plant fertilizers, gardeners do not ignore folk methods.
The desire to save money and use household waste more rationally does not always produce the desired result.
An example is the coffee grounds that remain after drinking a drink. Some people pour them down the sink, which plumbers categorically ask not to do. Others throw them in the trash.
But keen gardeners have heard that coffee grounds are also a source of nutrients for indoor plants.
However, biologists and agronomists point out that it is not all that simple. Any organic fertilizer must first rot and break down into simple components.
Before that, the molecules won't get through the thin membranes of the root hairs. So if you drink coffee and immediately pour the rest into the pot, there won't be any particular benefit.
But you can harm the plant and attract midges. Coffee with added sugar will be especially to the insects' taste.
A cap of complex mineral fertilizer will replace a mug of coffee grounds and will work almost immediately. It is better to send the cake to the compost, where it will reach the desired state after some time.
