There's a Starbucks next to my subway stop. For about a year now, on my way
home from work, I stop by and pick up the grounds. About 20 pounds a day,
from the expresso machine, and no trash or filters. The manager said that
in a few months Starbucks will begin putting their coffee grounds in special
bags and leaving them by the front door for people in the neighborhood to
pick up. But since I'm their regular coffee pickerupper, they'll save the
bags for me inside. The problem becomes having too much coffee. Not a
really bad problem. Like having too much compost.

--
Compostman
Washington, DC
Zone 7
"Jill S" wrote in message
.. .
Heya, I'm back for the season now that school's out, and I stumbled across
something interesting my mom picked up the other day so I thought I'd
post.


If you have a Starbucks nearby, stop in and see if they'll give you their
used coffee grounds. Ours is handing out bags full of them free for
fertilizing plants, and it seems to be doing a good job. Or, I suppose you
could save your own used coffee.
According to the label, the brewing process removes most of the acidity so
it's got a pH of about 6.9, and the carbon-nitrogen ratio is 20:1. You can
add it directly to the garden near nitrogen-loving plants, along with
brown
materials like leaves. Or, you can add it to your compost and use it
within
two or three weeks.

--
-Jill S.