Used coffee grounds good for hibiscus?

I've heard here and there that used coffee grounds are good for feeding hibiscus. I've got a nice hedge that is flowering quite nicely by now (this is an older photo) but it does have some white flies (despite repeated application of worm castings) and quite a few yellow leaves that I just pick off.

I've heard that the coffee grounds can help with the yellow leaves but I've also added some ironite about two months ago, so maybe ironite is better for the yellowing problem? What do you think of amending the soil with used coffee grounds?

This message was edited Jun 20, 2007 2:13 PM

I do not know but rosarians sure love it for roses.

I love your name. And your yard. LOL

So you have a hedge of hibiscus? I would love to see a blooming picture.

What a lovely garden area!! I second Kell's request for pics of the hedge blooming :-)

okay pics coming up tomorrow.
Here's the the other side of the yard until then...

im surprised someone didn't just jump in and say "oh yeah, coffee grounds, their great on the hibiscus..."
maybe they're not such a popular thing amongst the hibiscus growers?

Oh my gosh, you are making me mad with desire. And I bet Oceanside is a beautiful place to live too! I need to go google it. Lucky you. Just gorgeous.

Growing hibiscus is not my forte though I keep trying. LOL. Carlos is the real expert around here. Maybe he knows. If he doesn't stop by, you can email him. Kyle and Liz grow tons well too.

I can't wait for more pictures!!

I think David is the real expert as he has a hibiscus nursery and Kyle and others have much more experience than me.
From what I know very few people use spent coffee grounds in their hibiscus. They add much more nitrogen, and even more phosphorus, than potash and it's well known that hibiscus prefer potash and hate phosphorus. Nitrogen can make a plant to look more healthy but it will have less blooms.
If coffee grounds are used as mulch directly - without being degradated before in the compost bin - it can caused that fungi appears around the plant and hibiscus rot easily when fungi are around them.
Nevertheless, if you want to try with hibiscus it's better to test it first with garden varieties rather than with exotic varieties.

Regards

Carlos

Wowza, that's what I call nice landscaping. I have used coffee grounds on my Gardenias and Hibiscus. I do it sparingly though.

LOL. So true!! Of course David. And I even know him personally. His GH is chock full of these beauties!

I always think of you though Carlos because when I started coming to this forum a few years ago, you amazed me with your knowledge and your true love for these plants. I can still remember a photo of your collection on your porch.

I just bought time released fertilizer pellets for I think grass of all things to feed my hibiscus. I hope they work. They are, if I recall correctly, 13-3-6

Here is a shot taken in David's treasure trove..........a beauty!!

thanks for the kind comments about the yard. We always joke about going on vacation and staying "here." Well I'm doing just that this week. Why spend the gas money? LOL

I'll keep the coffe grounds away for now, maybe just toss 'em. I used to have gardenias but we just couldn't keep 'em going.

I'm not sure what variety these are, we bought em at HD in spring of 02. We loved the red ones...

...and we really loved the peach ones, too! The GF and I couldn't decide which we liked better, so we got both and alternated them as a small hedge.

I hear that someday they may merge and hybridize? Then a reddish peach, all of them?

To spoil the fun I sure gets lots of these. Our gardener from Guatamala calls these "jello leaves."LOL I try to pick em all out but for the most part the hedge makes em faster than I can get em.

I just bought some ironite and some Hibiscus fertilizer. Maybe that'll help.

I got this stuff at Lowe's. Is it as good as any? I haven't opened it yet, scare me off to something else if you know of better...

I use fertilizer from HVH along with their Hibiscus Booster every two weeks, the numbers on the fertilizer are 17-5-24, and I'm not sure about the booster. David from Touch of the Tropics also sells special fertilizer with numbers of 20-10-20, and I'm sure his is great as well.

Your backyard is just stunning - it looks like a picture from Sunset Magazine :-)

karen

so should I get rid of the 13-8-9 I just bought at Lowe's? This is supposed to be premium stuff, guaranteed or my money back.

This backyard has been a real process. It looked like this in 1999...

The Canary Island Date palms have been pineappled and we planted a Kentia and Pygmy date palm back here as well.

can I move in?
My 3 cats and puppy would love it there!

LOL
Actually this would not be a good place for a puppy... there's no yard to run around. All concrete, pool and landscaping.

However it is a great place for my cat Pookie. He's 12 y/o and all he does is sleep at the picnic table all day.

i never hear of anyone using hydroponics nutrient solution. Personally thats what Ive used for a long time and they seem to love it. Plus I can mix it to each plants needs and i give it to them like twice a week. Does anyone else use hydroponics nutrients?