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Coffee grounds in compost
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Author:  punkie [ Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Coffee grounds in compost

I'm wondering if there's such a thing as too much coffee grounds in compost???

Author:  CaptainCompostAL [ Fri Aug 06, 2004 10:08 am ]
Post subject: 

No way! You can never have too much in compost. Used coffee grounds don't have that much nitrogen in it to cause any stinky, smelling problems like animal manures and fish scraps do.

In cases using high nitrogen products like poop or fish, you got to add a lot of extra browns to the mix in order to control smells and to develop humus faster. Since humus is mostly carbon, it's difficult to produce humus in compost without using some browns.

Personally, I believe that since used coffee grounds is a near neutral pH nitrogen fertilizer, it's an almost perfect soil amendment that should be used directly around plants without going through a composting process first. (NOTE: Only fresh coffee is totally acidic. Most coffee brewing processes today take most of the acid out before it gets to the compost pile or the soil)

However if you got more used coffee grounds than you can handle, go ahead and compost it, even if it's not necessary.

Author:  user_48634 [ Sat Aug 07, 2004 10:39 am ]
Post subject: 

STOP :shock:

Coffee grounds should NEVER go into the compost pile!! They should go directly onto the turf or garden as a fertilizer at a rate of 10-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You can take that up to 80 pounds per 1,000 with no problems if you have enough coffee grounds. The only exception is if you have more than 80 pounds of dry coffee grounds per 1,000 square feet per month to apply. Then you can ship ME the rest (or compost it) :lol: . Beyond 80 pounds per 1,000 you start to smother the underlying turf or small plants.

Coffee is a ground up seed similar to wheat, corn, soy, and linseed. As such it makes a great protein based fertilizer.

Author:  Mr. Clean [ Sat Aug 07, 2004 5:40 pm ]
Post subject: 

Dchall_San_Antonio wrote:
STOP :shock:

Coffee grounds should NEVER go into the compost pile!!


I'll have to call B.S. on that statement. That is your OPINION only.

I have composted my grounds regularly for the last 10 years. It is a fine ammendment to your compost pile. The only time it may be too much of a good thing is if you are attempting to raise worms. I can't even say that definitively, as I have just read it.

Author:  AMG [ Sun Aug 08, 2004 7:09 am ]
Post subject: 

So, um, if I'm not supposed to put these grounds in the compost pile, where exactly should I be storing them? Honestly - I'm not going to make a trip out 2-3 times a day to sprinkle coffee grounds :lol:

The one time I did pick up grounds from Starbucks, I couldn't find the time to get right out to the yard to use them and ewwwww - the bag became a science experiment (that, btw, did get dumped into the pile).

Author:  CaptainCompostAL [ Mon Aug 09, 2004 7:41 am ]
Post subject: 

Dchall_San_Antonio was not saying you CAN'T compost coffee grounds. He was just suggesting that it is so perfect like grain meal soil amendments, that you can just skip the composting step and use them directly on the soil. However, if you want to compost it, go for it. That's your personal choice as a gardener and composter. That's cool!

Any plant and animal matter can be composted. However some materials are so high in proteins, carbohydrates, cellulose, starches, etc. that they need serious microbial or earthworm digestion first, before they can be any real available use to growing plants. Apparently used coffee grounds are almost at that perfect C:N ratio that mature compost or humus is, so plants can use it's availabilty faster.

Author:  punkie [ Tue Aug 10, 2004 5:35 pm ]
Post subject: 

:lol:
Wow guys, thanks for the great info!! I will carry on, then, worry free.

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