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Location

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Date Posted

Eganville, Ontario

I've been given access to a good amount of coffee grounds from a local coffee shop. Basically, I'm their garbage man. Each week I pick up about 60 gallons of grounds. It's a lot.

For the winter I'm just going to stockpile these in their own pile. I've read some online on coffee breakdowns, etc. I was wondering if there is anyone in this pumpkin business that uses a lot of grounds? How much is too much, do they break down slowly?

I have a huge pile of leaves breaking down and in the spring when I flip them when the snow leaves I'll probably sandwich in layers of these grounds. Is there a better idea? Has anyone added them straight to the fall soil?

12/14/2014 10:17:52 PM

Colorado

Ryan,I haven't put a lot in over the years But I do know when you compost them they really set off a lot of heat. They must be quite high in Nitrogen .

12/14/2014 11:12:52 PM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

Last year I put an estimated 300 gallons of coffee grounds in my 2400 sf patch. About 200 of these were put directly on top and tilled in in the fall. The rest were mixed into the compost pile and applied earlier in the spring. When I till in the following spring, there is no sign they were ever put there. They break down well filters and all. I would have put more on if I had a larger supply. Not sure when enough is enough though. My organic matter level is at about 12%

12/15/2014 5:14:37 AM

Fenton, MI

Punpkineer; What was your ph after doing this?

12/15/2014 7:41:26 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Get them mixed with a bunch of maple leaves, it can be -10 degrees out, but warm and smoky in the compost pile you build with the coffee and leaves.

12/15/2014 7:59:25 AM

Eganville, Ontario

It sounds like they don't move soil ph much at all. Most of the acid ends up in the cup of coffee, so I've read. Ask your dentist.

I have my compost cooking already. I've used them before and yes they do work great. One of the rare "brown" additives that give off nitro to a pile, yet they don't really do the same to soil once broken down. Unique product.

12/15/2014 8:24:13 AM

New England

earthworms LOVE them

12/15/2014 9:12:07 AM

South Hero, VT

Here's a couple of links on coffee grounds.

http://www.sunset.com/garden/earth-friendly/starbucks-coffee-compost-test

http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=12978

The article I read some time ago advised not to use more than 25% in compost.

It's good stuff.

12/15/2014 9:41:37 AM

Marshfield, Ma, USA

My PH was 6.8

12/15/2014 11:21:33 AM

BC, Canada

I use tons in my garden, lawn and compost piles. I have agreements with a couple of little coffee shops here to pick up the grounds and even get buckets of kitchen scraps for the chickens on occasion, bonus in the winter!.
This year I took a workshop on mushroom cultivation and have started growing oyster mushrooms on the coffee grinds. There is lots of information on how to do it if you do a web search. It is fairly easy and you can do it in a basement or garage in the winter.
Winter gardening!

12/15/2014 12:24:55 PM

Muddy Waters

I have used them in my compost pile.the only difference I saw was the worms pacing back and forth smoking cigarettes and asking for donuts.

12/15/2014 7:28:20 PM

Freedom Is Just Another Word For Noting Left To Lose

Mark, I've seen the picture of you sitting on your toilet in the middle of your compost pile. Are you sure they were pacing back and forth and not picketing or on strike?

12/15/2014 7:53:24 PM

Muddy Waters

lol Jimbo Maybe there nervous with me on the pot! Dropping the bomb!!!

12/15/2014 10:04:19 PM

Muddy Waters

Sorry Ryan for Dropping the bomb on your thread.I hope this doesnt Grind you the wrong way.

12/16/2014 7:38:44 AM

Eganville, Ontario

No caffeine crash here, I'm fairly Grounded.

12/16/2014 10:03:07 AM

BC, Canada

Drop a bomb?
Well grounded!
Giant pumpkins and stand up comics web site.
I meant to mention in my post above that if you collect grounds that have those paper coffee filters in them they are great for the worms. They breakdown well and the worms like to get next to the the filters to lay their eggs.
Probably after a cig and donut.

12/16/2014 2:29:39 PM

Eganville, Ontario

The ones I pick up are fairly clean, with only a couple filters in the weekly pick-up.

Last week I got 14 pails of those square-ish pails that look to be about 4 gallons or so. They say in the summer the coffee sales will be triple (cottage country travelers). I don't know if I'm in too deep on this one, but just trying to see if I can use 5000 gallons of coffee grinds.

With people now bringing thousands of pounds of leaves every fall, and manure pile, and now coffee mountain, the yard could turn into a bit of a land fill site.

I might be in too deep already.

12/16/2014 5:10:54 PM

50 Acres

Most resturants add salt to their coffee. Is there enough to be harmful with large quantities ofgrounds.

12/16/2014 5:32:19 PM

Muddy Waters

lol!

12/16/2014 8:04:31 PM

Muddy Waters

The salt would wash out I would think

12/16/2014 8:05:35 PM

formerly RGG

I have picked up thousands of pounds of coffee grounds from various Starbucks. I am quite sure they add no salt to their coffee. Marvin, the ph of used coffee grounds is close to neutral as most of the acidity is removed from the grounds in the brewing process.

12/21/2014 6:23:25 AM

Minnesota

Worm castings are gardeners gold! The worms love coffee grounds, come to them and leave worm castings!

12/21/2014 2:11:43 PM