I finally got my African violets blooming with coffee grounds

I had these three violets that just wouldn't flower for like a year, even with the right light. I tried a spoonful of used coffee grounds mixed into the top of the soil once a month and got new buds in about 6 weeks. Has anyone else had luck with weird kitchen scraps like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_bailey185d ago

My mother swore by banana peels for her roses so I always thought coffee grounds were just some internet fad. But I tried it on a stubborn little violet I had given up on and it actually worked. I used about a tablespoon of rinsed grounds mixed into the top inch of soil every three weeks. After maybe two months I saw fresh green leaves popping up and then a tiny bud. Now I have four blooms on a plant I was ready to throw out. Still feels weird putting coffee on a plant but I can't argue with the results.

jana8815d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that is so cool! It's funny how stuff like that works. I feel like there's this whole hidden layer of old-timey wisdom that we just kind of forget about until something random reminds us. Like how my grandma swore by putting eggshells in the soil for her tomatoes, and I always thought she was just being weird. Then last year I tried it on my pepper plants out of desperation and they went crazy. Makes me wonder what other little tricks we're missing out on because they sound too simple or like an old wives' tale.

reese_lee95d ago

Have you tried letting the coffee grounds dry out completely before mixing them in? I found that wet grounds tend to mold on top of the soil, but if you spread them on a paper towel for a day they work way better without the fungus issues. Also helps if you rinse them first to cut down on the acidity, violets don't like it too sour.