Coffee Grounds, Lasagne Beds, and Composting in SC

Starting new thread about Composting and Lasagne beds here in the warm, humid South -
I found some good sites on the Soil and Composting forum on Coffee Grounds

One person over there commented :
I dump'em in my composter & spread them into my flower beds and just work it into the soil. I also use it around the small evergreen in my back yard.
Spent coffee grounds are the perfect compost input:
* They smell good.
* They absorb and hold moisture which is so critical to the compost pile.
* They are one of the few sources of nitrogen that is widely available year-round to people in urban and suburban areas.
* They are easily stored for days in a closed plastic bag.
* They are free.
* They are available in large quantities.


Here is an excellent site - one kid commented that he used Coffee grounds as a Science project, and the plant that had 1 cuup grounds and 1 cup dirt grew much better than all the rest!
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Business/coffeefert.htm

And on the same site, one about composting ;
http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Planet/compost.htm


Here is one about experiments with coffee-grounds as composting - High in nitrogen and they count as a "Green" in composting

http://gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/coffee.htm


BTW, Starbucks has a policy of giving the grounds away to those who request it, so ask away! And do not forget the other places that make coffee, too - Dunkin Donuts, etc.


Cheers
Lorie

Pyro: Thank you for the composting tips. I've been using my coffee grounds and tea bags as compost for some time now, as well as crushing egg shells, etc. DH and I attended a session two weeks ago at our local landfill about composting and I think it was an eye-opener for him. He's been fussing about my collecting the kitchen garbage and trying to compost (without helping, of course) and now he's seen first-hand what wonderful stuff compost is. At the session, which was on a Thurs. night, we turned a compost pile that had been started by a session on the Sat. before. It was so hot (literally) and was already starting to break down. Oh, it was wonderful to get down and dirty with the compost! Loved it, loved it.

Wow, that is great!!! I am eyeing the bags of leaves that are stacked up along the street, heh heh heh .... what a waste, but at least they will be sent to our local yard-waste place and not the landfill.

Interesting links, Lorie. Thanks for posting them. I use coffee grounds on some of my plants, especially Gardenias, but it never occurred to me to use as a general composting ingredient. Gotta keep thi in mind when I'm "re-doing" my beds for spring.
Deb

Debin: Don't forget tea bags and it's okay to toss the filters (paper) in with the coffee grounds. I need to go check out our local Starbucks and request grounds.

I had two large compost bins in my yard for nearly a year, and while stuff was breaking down, it was definately a passive activity. It was only when I started collecting and composting my coffee grounds that things really started "cooking". I never pay any attention to how much green and how much brown I put in. I just put in what comes out of my gardens, when it comes out of my gardens. Now it is a tough call as to where to put the coffee grounds, the compost bins or the worm bins

NCDirt: I've been lusting after lucious black gold for years and finally have it down to some process I think I can manage without DH's help. Can't wait to get started on it when the rain lets up and we have another pretty day!

BTW worms love coffee grounds. I've never composted with them but I do toss them out on some of my plants. Coffee is acidic so acid loving plants also love coffee.

I've been using them and the tea leaves and egg shells in my rose plantings this fall.

My best friend says that she just goes out to her plants and digs a little hole by some and spoons her green compost (coffee/tea grounds and salad trimmings - chopped fine) and then covers them with some mulch. A few spoonfuls at each plant, and it gives her a chance to check the wellbeing of her plants too. She has noticed a definite improvement of the growth and health, and her soil around her plants is much better and looser.

Oh, and about acid - they fellow at Nurseries Caroliniana in N. Augusta said that sprinkling pelleted lime on your flowerbeds and azaleas is good, just scratch it in. I asked him about the azaleas comment, and his reply was " Azaleas tolerate acid soil and will do fine under pine trees, etc, but they do not prefer it - try sprinkling a little lime near their drip line and they will green up nicely and do better for you overall."

Thanks, Pyro. Good information.

Great thread. Never thought I'd be putting coffee in my yard, but this sounds like the perfect solution. My soil is so neutral the tropicals will absolutely love this.

I think what Ted was saying was that although azaleas do best in an acid soil they cannot take up the nutrients without enough calcium in the soil (it has to do with cation exchange capability, don't ask, LOL) and the lime gives them the calcium. My soil here is neutral but when I lived in Columbia with acid soil I always added lime every other year.

BTW, this is a good site on uding coffee grounds; contrary to popular belief they really have little acid after being brewed. Interesting part about adding a nitrogen fertilizer with the grounds.

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/lane/sites/default/files/documents/cffee07.pdf

This message was edited Dec 3, 2008 5:23 PM

Here is a good idea- using wood pallets (they are free at the end of my street) and chicken wire to make a composting bin

http://mygardenguide.com/tutorials/tut.html?id=87&title=Building%20A%20Pallet%20Compost%20Bin

And how to build a wire bin - I priced wire at Lowes today and you can get a roll of 3 foot x 10 foot wire for under $20

http://mygardenguide.com/tutorials/tut.html?id=89&title=Building A Wire Compost Bin

And the DHEC site for SC Composting page

http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/compost.htm

http://mygardenguide.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=869&Itemid=77

some good links off of this page

Problem there with the pallets is critters. I put that in my back yard and I'm not sure exactly what would get into it but there would be critters.

You could put a pallet on top for a lid??
Heavy, but could work - and avoid smelly food scraps and no meat/dairy/breads, just veggie trimmings, plant trimmings, and coffee grounds for the green.
Or perhaps you might be better off with a closed system like a pail or rolly-bin garbage can.

So what if the critters get in it? Free turning of your compost when they dig into it!!! I just bury the fresh greens and eggshells from the kitchen when placed on the pile.

Doug

I love the idea of critters turning my pile for me. You think if I randomly bury peanuts in the pile the squirels will grab the pitch fork and go treasure hunting?

???????? Strange idea but I'm seeing the logic behind it.

Let's see......, in your area the armadillos will burrow through your garden to get to the compost. Snakes, which never completely hibernate here, love the warmth of the compost. Raccoons (they are particularly attracted to egg shells) relieve themselves immediately after eating the compost and leave many piles all around the yard.

With the kidlets and the pups, I don't see that happening in your garden. :-)

dirtdigger you may be onto something there!!! Ya think Tractor Supply or somebody else sells "squirrel size" pitchforks?

Doug