Do Christmas Cactus Like Coffee Grounds?

Do Christmas cactus like coffee grounds? Yes, Christmas cactus prefer to grow in coffee grounds

Literally, Christmas cactus are fans of coffee just like we are. Christmas cacti can gain nutrients such as potassium, Nitrogen from coffee grounds . 

These are two very important nutrients for the healthy and vigorous growth of the Christmas cactus. Having said that, you should refrain from using ground straightaway too as if the grounds are moist, chances are that they can go moldy.

Do Christmas Cactus Like Coffee Grounds

Hence i recommend drying  them first and then spread them out. You can provide the coffee ration by blending dried coffee grounds in its water. Alternatively,  you can scatter them on soil as well.

It will be a good idea to provide coffee grounds for the Christmas cactus as it would be helpful to promote blooming of the plants specially during the holiday season.

However, ensure that you do it precisely when you proceed with this.  If there are any lapses in applying the coffee grounds, chances are that there would be a caffeine rush.

So,  If you are excited to learn how to apply coffee grounds on these, you will find this article interesting and it will be worth reading this. 

How do you use coffee grounds for Christmas cactus?

You need to use coffee grounds on your christmas cactus depending on the soil mix you have grown them.

For example,if you have grown the Christmas cactus on a regular soil,one dilated cup of coffee would be enough for them. 

That will bring you the expected results for you. However, if you have an acidic soil, you should avoid adding coffee altogether. 

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As such it is critically important that you choose the right soil so that you can apply the coffee grounds. If you have grown the Christmas cactus in pots, ensure that you have provided a soil mix which is well draining and well aerating.

Besides, you need to ensure that you do not over water the Christmas cactus for which you have applied coffee grounds too. 

Christmas cactus do not wish to have anything in excess. Hence, best is to start off by giving a half a cup of left-over coffee twice a week and observe how it thrives. If you can’t spot any result, you can increase it to a full cup of coffee.

How much coffee do you put in a Christmas cactus?

You can only add one or two tablespoons at a time. Spread it in a thin layer from 2 to 3 inches from the stem to the outer edge of the pot. Always water after adding coffee grounds.

Is black coffee good for Christmas cactus

I recommend using black coffee for Christmas cactus.

Having said that, do not use leftover coffee with cream and sugar on your plants as it would make the plants more susceptible for bugs which would create unnecessary problems. Moreover, you may also use cold coffee for this purpose. 

Simply you can leave the leftover coffee sit in a place where they can cool. If you end up using hot coffee , it will scald the roots and chances are that it could even scald the plant itself. 

Coffee will give a right kick to the Christmas cactus. Coffee grounds contain nutrients and that characteristics make them more eco-friendly fertilizer for these plants.

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How to put coffee grounds on succulents?

You can put coffee grounds for the rest of other succulents’ just like you do with the Christmas cactus. Usually, the cacti and many other succulents prefer to grow in slightly acidic soil

It depends on the pH scale of these plants. Most water has a pH, range around 8 . On the other hand, many cacti prefer to have a pH scale around 5.8-7. 

This means , you are exposing these plants to a slightly higher pH range than the plants want. Hence, you can mix the coffee grounds into water so that it can restore the pH levels that your cacti like to have.

Do Christmas Cactus Like Coffee Grounds

What is the best fertilizer for Christmas cactus?

You may use a  half strength water soluble formula which has a ratio of 20-20-20 or 20-10-20. You need to feed them once a month from late winter to late summer

Besides, you may also go ahead with a time release of balanced plant food as well. Not only that but also, you could use a slightly higher fertilizer in a prosperous component  once a month from late summer so that it will encourage blooming.

Apart from that, you can fertilize the plants monthly with one teaspoon  of Epsom salts. per gallon of water It will be quite effective for the plants as it will fulfill the magnesium needs of the epiphyte as well. 

I recommend suspending feeding the plants in late summer unless it would badly affect the blooming of the Christmas cactus. 

Further, never feed them in winter as they would be in a relaxing  mode during this period. Moreover, when you apply these fertilizers, ensure that you carefully go through the labeled instructions of the plants so that you will not end up creating any feed burns on them.  

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Christmas cactus usually thrive with minimum nutrients when they thrive in the wild. Hence, you need to keep this in mind when feeding the plants. 

It is always best to feed them less than over feeding them. However, you can fertilize these plants throughout the year. 

Having said that , you should feed them once every two weeks. Further, always try to reduce the amount of fertilizer and skip feeding them right after repotting them. Furthermore, do not feed them after flowering.

Do Christmas cactus like coffee grounds? A conclusion

There are so many benefits of coffee grounds for Christmas cactus. It would help the plants to revive and encourage blooming frequently  as well. 

However, you need to keep in mind that you should always use black coffee for the Christmas cactus. Further ensure that you use cold coffee grounds on Christmas cactus. Additionally bear in mind that you use the right soil mix for the Christmas cactus.

Credit to : Natural Ways
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About author

I’m Dr. Chamika, As a hobby love talking about plants and showing you that taking care of indoor plants. My website is knowledge I’ve learned over the years and continue to learn about growing succulents. If you’re a succulent lover, then you have come to the correct place.