Warning: my coffee grounds experiment almost killed my peace lily

I read online that used coffee grounds are good for plants, so I started adding them to my peace lily's soil every week. After about a month, the leaves started turning yellow and brown at the tips. I thought it was a watering issue at first, but it kept getting worse. I finally dug into the pot and the soil smelled sour and was packed tight. Turns out, I was adding too much and it was making the soil too acidic and dense. I had to repot the whole plant with fresh soil to save it. The new growth is finally coming in green again. Has anyone else had a plant react badly to a common 'hack' like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph9321mo ago

My grandma always said coffee grounds are for the compost pile, not straight into the pot. I mean, it needs to break down first or it just messes with the soil.

white.sandra1mo ago

Actually mix a small amount right into the soil for my acid-loving plants like hydrangeas. It works fine if you don't overdo it and keep the layer thin. The grounds break down pretty fast once they're worked in and watered. I've never had it mess up the soil, but I also don't just dump a whole pot of old coffee on top.

jordan33021d agoMost Upvoted

Haven't you found that mixing it in with the soil helps a ton, though? I do the same thing - just a thin layer mixed into the top few inches around my blueberries and it works great. I've learned that if you let it sit dry on top it can get crusty and stop water from soaking in, but worked into the soil it's not a problem at all.