Question about using leftover coffee grounds in potting soil

Tried mixing used grounds from the shop into the soil for some ferns, thinking it would help with acidity. They all got a weird crust and started dropping leaves after about a week. Anyone know what I did wrong, or have a better use for the stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

felixb252d ago

My buddy did that with his peace lily, total mess. The grounds just clumped up into this hard, moldy layer on top of the soil. It smelled kinda sour, too. He ended up having to re-pot the whole thing. I mean, maybe it works if you dry them out first or something, but idk.

drew_west2d ago

Saw something a while back about how fresh wet grounds can actually mess with the soil. They pack down and stop air and water from getting to the roots, plus they can start to rot and get funky. Maybe that crust you saw was the start of that? Heard it's better to mix them into a compost pile first, let them break down fully.