used coffee grounds

[puravida]

I just read on a different forum someone was going to spread used coffee grounds on their plot as part fertiliser (lots of nitrogen apparently) and part slug deterrent.

I have a shop and cafe and they always save me the used grounds that I generally chuck on the compost heap but spreading them direct sounds like a great idea to me.

Anyone ever tried this??

[Flummery]

They can make the ground more acidic. That's why some people sprinkle them around blueberries and plants that like an ericaceous compost. I'm not sure I'd stick them all over everything though. Their grittiness would deter slugs but I think you'd want to use it to surround individual plants rather like a barrier rather than wholesale spreading. Don't know what the others think?

[rustylady]

Supposed to deter cats from sh****ng on your borders. Seems to work for a while, but you'd need a lot of coffee grounds to get rid of all the cats round here who seem to think that my garden is their ideal toilet area.

[Sue]

Hi
I can get lots of used grounds too, I use it to mix in the compost heap, give to the COW for the worms to eat and mix it with spent compost to mulch the ground.
Also there was a suggestion on the vine that mixing it in with potting compost was a good idea, I've tried this (as free extender to the compost) and haven't had any problems.
Sue

[GardenFan]

Used with compost for potting it's great due to the nitrogen content. I recommend that you don't use it in compost that sits on the surface as its prone to mould (bright blue) when it rots. Its great stuff to be be used when planting out as well (mix a few handfuls with the soil in your planting hole). Used mixed as a surface mulch should be done in the autum rather than spring due to the mould (it occurs as it dries) as the wet and cold don't result in mould. I've not had any luck using it to keep slugs at bay, I assume that the finer blends that cafe's supply is not corse enough to keep them away?

[cms]

I have posted on this under the Gruesome Slug Experiment thread - used coffee grounds definitely keep slugs and snails at bay, as well as being gritty it acts as a dehydrator - providing you create a big enough area around the plant to provide a barrier that the slippery little critters can't bridge - ie it must extend beyond overhanging leaves which isn't always easy at edges of raised beds. A work colleague uses it under his strawberries on his lottie and I have never seen such beautiful hole free strawbs.

Once it has been brewed the acid is leached out of the grounds, so although it is often recommended for improving soil for acid loving plants, it shouldn't make the soil overtly acid and it is nitrogen rich.

We have a coffee machine but in reality don't generate enough waste coffee grounds so I have been collecting waste grounds from a well known, high street coffee shop - who automatically bag their waste grounds and keep them in a bin in the store for customers to help themselves. I am gradually spreading it over my three (very small) raised veggie beds -I started with the plants most susceptible to slug attacks. I haven't found a problem with it growing mould once it is down as a mulch. Once I have covered the veggie beds I shall start adding it into the compost so best of both worlds.

Only downside - as I found last night - spreading it with bare hands results in a kind of henna stain effect for several hours!

Cathy

[Sue]

Gosh, garden fan, I've never had blue mould? But glad to know why it's good in potting mixture, wasn't quite sure of the reason.
Sue

[puravida]

Wow - thanks so much everyone! I'm so stoked at all the great info!

[JennieAtkinson]

Thats what we are all here for puravida!