Natural fertilizer for Christmas cactus
Coffee grounds can be repurposed as a soil fertilizer, particularly for your Christmas cactus, instead of being thrown in the garbage.
Coffee grounds are a great source of potassium and nitrogen for Christmas cactus, which thrive in winter. To support these plants, it’s essential to dry them out on a sheet and ensure they have the necessary nutrients for their growth and development.
To prevent mold growth, add coffee grounds to the soil and mix gently once a month. Leave the plant alone during blooming time and immediately after the drop, as the delicate blooms on a Christmas cactus require frequent attention. Avoid wet soil and coffee grounds for optimal growth.
Can you put coffee grounds on Christmas cactus?
Coffee grounds can be placed on a Christmas cactus, and many home gardeners are aware of their benefits and regularly use them in compost.
A Christmas cactus, being a small potted plant, cannot be composted. Instead, coffee grounds can be placed around the plant.
Most people are coffee grounds and will have some leftovers. This can be in the form of drip coffee or even leftover espresso pucks.
Interestingly, there are many coffee companies that will allow you to take their leftover coffee grounds for your home composting needs. Therefore, these are free, readily available substances that will improve the health of your plants, including your Christmas cactus.
Are coffee grounds good for Christmas cactus?
Let’s dive into why coffee grounds and your Christmas cactus plant are such good pairings. The Christmas cactus is a type of succulent which means they are relatively low-maintenance plants.
Proper nourishment enhances the bold blooms of your Christmas cactus, but it doesn’t require much to survive.
Your Christmas cactus can benefit from nitrogen and potassium, which are found in coffee beans.
Using expensive beans exclusively on a house plant is unnecessary, as you can still enjoy your coffee while reusing the leftover grounds for your plant.
Coffee Grounds Benefits for Christmas Cactus?
Coffee grounds, rich in potassium and nitrogen, are essential for the growth of Christmas cactus flowers, which add color and vitality to dreary winters, despite the plant’s minimal assistance.
Nitrogen enhances soil structure, while potassium aids plant growth, making it the ideal solution.
To maintain the health of your Christmas cactus, it’s recommended to repot it annually, as it needs more room for growth and roots, in addition to adding coffee grounds throughout the year.
Place your plant in a bright, sunny area near a window, but adjust its placement throughout the year, especially during summer when direct sunlight is more abundant.
To water your Christmas cactus effectively,
wait until the top two inches of soil are dry before adding water, and place the pot in another container for better soil drainage.
How to use coffee grounds on Christmas cactus
The use of coffee grounds is not as straightforward as simply placing them on your plant, as it requires several steps to follow.
To ensure the health of your coffee plant, it’s essential to dry your grounds by spreading them out on a tray and leaving them for a few hours.
People dry large batches of coffee grounds and store them in a jar without the lid, keeping them readily available for use.
The use of coffee grounds is not as straightforward as simply placing them on your plant, as it requires several steps to follow.
To ensure the health of your coffee plant, it’s essential to dry your grounds by spreading them out on a tray and leaving them for a few hours.
People dry large batches of coffee grounds and store them in a jar without the lid, keeping them readily available for use.
After drying, sprinkle coffee grounds on the top layer of your Christmas cactus’s soil, ensuring to mix it into the soil without disrupting its roots.
Fertilizing your Christmas cactus correctly is crucial, as it should be left alone during flowering and immediately after it has lost its blooms.
Thanksgiving cacti are found from late fall to winter, Christmas cacti from winter to spring, and Easter cacti from late winter to spring.
Add coffee grounds every two to four weeks without over-fertilizing, allowing cactus to grow without worrying about over-fertilization.
Repotting your Christmas cactus annually ensures it grows and requires more space for its roots, resulting in more cactus soil and reducing the need for fertilization for a few weeks.
What are your alternative fertilizers for Christmas Cactus?
To avoid the hassle of adding coffee to your cactus, you can opt for pre-made fertilizer instead.
Choose a 20-20-20 standard nutrient mix for your cactus, containing equal amounts of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorous, similar to coffee grounds. Follow the same steps.
Symptoms of lack of nutrients
Potassium deficiency causes yellowish leaves in older Christmas cactus plants, potentially leading to leaf death. Coffee grounds can be used as fertilizer to counteract this issue and can also balance soil pH values if soil’s pH is too high.
How often to fertilize Christmas cactus
Christmas cacti thrive in damp rainforests with limited nutrients, so fertilizing them with less is often more effective in their environment.
A Christmas cactus should be repotted annually, eliminating the need for fertilization.
Avoid over-fertilization and fertilize throughout the year, only completely foregoring during the short break after flowering, ensuring the plant can be fertilized throughout the year.
- Fertilize a maximum of every fortnight
- Reduce the amount of fertilizer
- Do not fertilize after repotting
- Take a break after flowering
Do not fertilize after purchase or repotting
After purchasing or repotting a Christmas cactus, avoid fertilizing as the substrate is rich in nutrients, and additional fertilizers may be too much, leading to its death.
Fertilize cactus after a year of growth in the same substrate, and if repotting is necessary, you can do without fertilizing.
Repotting a Christmas cactus immediately after purchase is beneficial due to its compact, nutrient-rich, or completely soaked earth. Rinse off the old substrate and place it in fresh soil.
Click for more information on Christmas Cactus Fertilizer
Conclusion
A Christmas cactus is a low-maintenance, colorful, and easy-to-care-for succulent that can be maintained by adding coffee grounds to the soil every two to four weeks.
