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How Coffee Grounds Can Help Your Basil Plants Thrive
By JAHAIRA ARTHUR
Basil is one of the best herbs for your indoor garden, as it’s easy to grow and yields tasty leaves. To ensure it thrives, used coffee grounds can be added to the soil.
Coffee contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, similar to that of fertilizers. It ward off pests and fungal diseases, while attracting helpful wildlife, such as earthworms.
Avoid feeding it flavored coffee, however. You also want to wait for your plant to grow out of its seedling years before spiking
its soil, as it can stunt germination and growth.
The first technique is to turn coffee grounds into liquid fertilizer. You'll need 2 cups of coffee grounds and 5 gallons of non-chlorinated water, such as rainwater.
You can also use tap water, but let it sit for 24 hours before adding the coffee grounds. Then, let the coffee steep for eight hours before transferring it into spray bottles.
Spritz your basil's leaves and stems to deliver the boost of nitrogen. If you have a large crop of herbs, you can add the liquid fertilizer to your drip irrigation system.
The second way is to mix the grounds with its soil. Just add a ½ cup of damp coffee grounds to the topsoil of each plant once a week to every three weeks.