Is spent ground kava beneficial for plants?

[yestothat]

I hate having to throw away used root after my last washes. The uniform and grainy texture feel like a perfect soil texturizer. Questions...

Has anyone had success mixing ground kava with potting soil or using it as a fertilizer?

Is used kava acidic? Will it help or harm plants?

Thanks in advance!

 

[The Kap'n]

I hate having to throw away used root after my last washes. The uniform and grainy texture feel like a perfect soil texturizer. Questions...

Has anyone had success mixing ground kava with potting soil or using it as a fertilizer?

Is used kava acidic? Will it help or harm plants?

Thanks in advance!

Oddly enough, there may actually be some evidence towards allelopathic properties of kava. Allelopathy is a natural process where some plants release chemicals that can either inhibit or encourage the growth of other plants nearby. It seems that depending on the plant, used kava powder could actually inhibit the growth of some species.

Hong, Nguyen Huu, Tran Dang Xuan, Tsuzuki Eiji, Mitsuhiro Matsuo, and Ogushi Yuichi. 2002. “Evaluation of the Allelopathic Potential of Kava (Piper Methysticum L.) for Weed Control in Rice.” Weed Biology and Management 2 (3): 143–47. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1445-6664.2002.00062.x.