I have a 55+ year old Christmas Cactus that I got after my grandmother's death. It didn't do very well and didn't grow much and I was about to throw it away; then, I remembered seeing my grandmother pour whatever she was drinking on the cactus, (tea, coffee). I started giving the cactus a cup of coffee once a week and it has just exploded! It blooms twice a year and has grown by leaps and bounds. Try coffee!
By Liz from Birmingham, AL
Editor's Note: This works really well but make sure it is has no sugar or cream in it.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can you give coffee to a Christmas cactus more than once a week?
Use half a cup. Stick your finger in the soil before watering to make sure it is necessary. www.gardenguides.com/
It depends on the soil you have the plant in. If the soil is too basic, you can use diluted black coffee (no cream or sugar or you will get bugs) to get it to a good pH balance. If the soil is already acidic, I would not add coffee.
pH testers are pretty cheap and you can get them at many places. I know Amazon has cheap ones. Christmas cactus do best with a pH between 5.5 to 6.2.
I was house sitting earlier this month and she has the most beautiful Christmas cactus I have ever seen. It just bloomed my last week of sitting. It never had anything but morning sun and tap water!
It is fine that you add some coffee to your Christmas cactus but you should make sure the soil is the right type of soil to do this one with. The coffee can't be hot and you can't have any type of sweeteners or cream in the coffee.
If you can use coffee to revive a cactus, can it be coffee that has cinnamon in the coffee grounds? My mom uses hazelnut cream with cinnamon.
Would that hurt the plant or save it from freezer burn?
As a general rule, milk & creamer products are not recommended for plants - indoor plants or house plants.
Plants need vitamins. Milk, contains vitamin D. I realize, am sure it is watered down with countless other things. Did not stop my elderly cousin from filling a milk jug up with water, and pouring it around plants.
