Should You Feed Your Jade Plant Your Leftover Coffee Grounds?

With their plump leaves and easy maintenance, jade plants are a lovely addition to a busy person's indoor garden. The species Crassula ovata, also known as the money plant, is said to bring good fortune. Successfully caring for a jade plant takes very little effort. Needing minimal water and fertilizer and even growing best when slightly root-bound, this plant seems to thrive on neglect. Jades can even tolerate wide temperature differences, from as low as 50 degrees at night up to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, and need as little as four hours of light per day. Under the right care, these succulents can grow over 6 feet tall and live for decades. 

The internet is teeming with blog posts extolling the benefits of using coffee to feed jade plants. Some believe that coffee grounds can be beneficial because they contain nitrogen, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients. However, while coffee could provide some nutrients, it may also do more harm than good, especially when used to fertilize jade plants specifically. While you could trust the anecdotal evidence and try using coffee grounds to fertilize your jade plant, it may be best to take advice from researchers and professionals and steer clear of this fertilizer. On the other hand, if you want to repurpose coffee grounds in your garden, you can use them to make your own DIY compost. Their nitrogen content can be mixed with brown matter that's high in carbon to create a balanced fertilizer for your plants.

While jade plants are relatively easy to grow, one of the most common ways indoor gardeners can harm their jades is by overwatering. Jades depend on well-drained soil for the right balance of moisture. Leftover coffee grounds, when added directly to the top of the soil surrounding your plant, could easily stick together and create a barrier that reduces water penetration and aeration in the soil. If this happened, your plant would receive too much sitting water that wouldn't drain properly, which could lead to an insect infestation that spreads easily to other houseplants. Worse yet, your jade may also suffer root rot that could ultimately kill your plant. If you see signs of this problem, learn more about root rot and how to deal with it. 

Some also believe that coffee grounds can make the pH level of your plant's soil more acidic, and jade plants prefer a slightly-acidic soil. However, this has been disproven, as used coffee grounds actually have a pH that's closer to neutral and shouldn't make a big difference in the soil's pH levels. Overall, rather than risking the life of your jade, relax and simplify your care routine by keeping coffee grounds out of the pot. Instead, provide your succulent with a balanced fertilizer treatment about once every two months during the growing season.