Coffee Grounds

[Alison]

In know it's been discussed several times already but I'm still somewhat confused on the dos and don't of using coffee grinds. Mentioned to OH that Starbucks are supposedly giving them away and next thing I know he's brought home a huge (and I mean huge) tub of grinds from work - they must have a very dull day where he works to need that much caffene! Anyway, put the last lot on the compost heap but could do with answers to the following:

- is it possible to put too many on the compost heap?
- can I add them to my wormery and if so in what quantities?
- would I be better adding them to the garden as a top dressing etc and if so which crops would benefit the most?
- any other advice?????

As you can see, don't really know what I'm doing on this one but would like to make the most of an unexpected freebie!

[Alice]

Hello Alison, you would need a bio chemist to answer all your questions but you can do no harm by putting your coffee grounds on your compost heap.

[Waffler]

We don't get through THAT much coffee in our house, but we do put our coffee grindings on the compost heap.

[Earthbabe]

We add ours to the compost heap. They can be used as a top dressing but I haven't tried that yet. Don't know about the wormery though.

[SueA]

Hi Alison, I've been using the free coffee grounds from Starbucks & have added some to the compost heap, I think as long as you don't add too many all at once they are O.K.' like anything else you want to mix a layer of an inch or so of grounds with a following inch or two of something else. I just sprinkle them round everything on the veg. patch & nothing seems to have come to any harm but I wouldn't put them in your wormery as I think the caffeine would be bad for the worms as it is supposed to deter slugs etc. & be harmful to them in large doses.

[billyboy]

hi there you can top dress with coffee grounds no problem i put it on my runner beans this year. does the soil good to lol

[Alison]

Anything which helps my runner beans after this years terrible crop has got to be a good thing!

[Weavie]

I read somewhere that sprinking coffee on your carrot crop helps deter carrot fly. The smell confuses them. I'm going to try it next year. I'm also going to try grass cuttings piled up too and I'll report back to the forum if either works. Might be worth keeping some coffee back for your carrots?

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

keep mean to pop into starbucks,but keep thinking i'll look a twit if they don't know what i'm talking about

[SueA]

Don't worry New to the Plot, just have a look around on the floor or in baskets near the door or condiments & you should see some quite large silver coffee bags with stickers on them saying 'coffee grounds for your garden' or similar. If you can't see any just ask at the counter if they have any used grounds & they should know what you're after. You don't have to buy anything & they are glad to get rid of the grounds so you are doing them a favour!

[Alison]

They don't all do it, have been in about 3 near here and they all look at you blankly, still worth a try though and what have you got to lose.

[Earthbabe]

I keep meaning to pop into ours too but like NTTP I'm sure they'll think they have a nutter on the premises. Also I just hope they don't expect to see me every week.

Will swallow my pride and take the plunge. As you say Alison, what have I got to lose.

[Sue]

Hi
The Starbucks coffee grounds are highly sought after here, and it's hard to find any left. I have tried the other coffee shops and they will give you the grounds, usually in a large black leaky plastic bag that weighs a ton. I know they are thinking, Mad English, but what the hell.
Just need to pluck up courage to go into the swanky hairdressers and ask for their floor sweepings now.
Sue

[Dynamo]

Yesterday I popped into a Starbucks coffee shop. I was told by a friend that her local Starbucks had a bucket full of bags of used coffee grinds for anyone who wants them, so I thought I'd ask it my local one as well. The staff were over the moon that I wanted them and said I could have as many as I liked. Looks like I'll be popping back in there on a regular basis. Anyway, I put some of them in the wormery and I have used most of the rest of them to make a mulch around the sunflowers that I've planted. Lets hope it helps keep our not so friendly moluscs at bay.

[Nippy]

I would have to travel around 30 miles to reach our nearset Starbucks but if eve I'm that way I will give it a go.
The thought of very hyper worms from all that coffee has made me very lol