Coffee for fertilizer?

[fireflie]

I'm interested in fertilizers that can be made at home. I've heard of coffee, seaweed extracts, and tea for various fertilizers, but I'm interested in your opinion especially in terms of orchids.

I have freeze dried coffee. Can I use it very diluted for my phal and cymbidiums?

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Rice water. Oat meal water. Potato water.

[kavanaru]

diluted pee for extra N (and do not laugh, I know people who do that, but for non-orchids plants and somehow they manage their plant do not smell...)

[Des]

I know someone who grows the most magnificent Coelogyne Cristatas , and he uses his wife's urine to fertilize them . It took some time to figure out that it was the estrogen that they wanted . When I told my wife this,she gave me a strange look, so I new not to go there !! So i tried some expired "pills"which a doctor friend gave me instead . Some time ago I read an article which mentions that in certain asian countries "the pill" is used for growing orchids!!

[trinimom]

Hmm interesting...
I have always collected all my banana peelings to fertilise my veggies as they are high in potassium and collect all my tea bags and coffee dregs for my green plants and they grow well .... but orchids I never thought that I could go this way.
Thanks would try potato water, rice water and oat meal water first....lol. Is this from boiled rice and potatoes?

[maitaman]

Coffee grounds are okay, but there is too much tannic acid in pure coffee (you extract it when you make the coffee) that can stain the roots so they lose ability to photosynthesize - which many orchid roots do. The grounds are a good source of nitrogen as they break down slowly. I only use them on terrestrials.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by maitaman

Coffee grounds are okay, but there is too much tannic acid in pure coffee (you extract it when you make the coffee) that can stain the roots so they lose ability to photosynthesize - which many orchid roots do. The grounds are a good source of nitrogen as they break down slowly. I only use them on terrestrials.

I agree. Coffee is a good source of N. If I remember right, apporx 7-1-1 or 9-1-1. It is pretty acidic, so composting it so it is not as 'hot' is probably a good idea. I wouldn't use any compost strait. Try making some compost 'tea' with different amounts per gallon until you find the right balance.

The whole subject (especially using urine) is a little questionable. Of course, urine contains nitrogen, a little sugar, probably some vitamins, maybe hormones, but how much? What about undermetabolized medications such as antibiotics, prozac, and birth control? It will vary from gender to gender, person to person, diet to diet, and will be different at different times of day. Personally I feel more comfortable knowing the ppm of N in any fertilizer I give my orchids. The same problem exists when using compost - it's different every time you use it.

Coffee, urine, compost, guano, etc may be fine , but without knowing the nutrient levels, one must err on the side of safety. At these safer, low concentrations, the plant may be shorted one or several nutrients or worse, lack something essential that could be easily provided with half strength balanced fertilizers. Just my

[Des]

Royal , you are so correct in what you say , rather than try these hit and miss methods on my plants , iI prefer to purchase a good brand of fertilizer and know what my plants are getting in the way of nutrients .

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Yes, boiled potatoes. Before rice is cooked, it's gotta be rinsed, that water with all the cloudy mess is the stuff you want. It's high in carbohydrates and other sugars.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Oh yeah, I watered my Taeniophyllum with rice water, and they look much bigger than with the concentrated crystaline fertilizers commercially available.

So all the hobbyists growing Chiloschistas, Taeniophyllums, Dendrophylax, or Polyrhizza can try this.