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#1
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Coffee Grounds in Compost?
The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling
statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? |
#2
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The message
from Anthony Ward contains these words: The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I've heard this too, and personally, I'd ignore it. I put rhubarb leaves on mine... I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? It's a bit slow to decompose, but not terribly acidic. Chop it up a bit and bung it on If you find your compost is a bit too acidic (most is acidic, anyway) you can always adjust the pH with some ground chalk, often sold as 'garden lime'. -- Rusty There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who read binary and those who don't. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
#3
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"Anthony Ward" wrote in message ... The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? I have used coffee grounds for years for acid locing plants I use as a mulch and the nitrogen does wonders....also add to the compost heap along with all other 'odds and sods' and most times the finished product comes out barely on the acidic side....composting tend to balance out the pH....just to be sure I give a quick pH test and add a spot of lime if needed....never had a problem....I suppose if it was too heavily loaded with coffee grounds the final result might be more acidic than some plants would like....theere again a 'neutalizer' is cheap enough....same applies to citrus peel.....as far as I am concerned anything that comes out of the ground can go back into it.....H |
#4
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Anthony Ward wrote:
A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason IIRC, it all comes out pretty neutral, regardless of ingredients. Earthworm growers swear by coffee grounds, and I compost mine (admittedly not that many but still). Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G |
#5
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In article , Anthony Ward
writes The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. You are unlikely to be creating a compost heap purely of coffee grounds. But even if you were - The best compost I ever made used to consist, daily, of a couple of handfuls of potato and veg peelings, the tea leaves from about 6 pots of lapsang suchong tea and a bucket of urine. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? No -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
#6
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"Anthony Ward" wrote in message ... The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? Absolute tosh .........I pile in everything from grass cuttings, weeds , shredded prunings ,shredded paper, cardboard ,veggie peelings , horse muck along with tea bags, coffee grounds to citrus peel into my compost bins and theres no complaining whatever from any of my plants They can hardly be a high % of the total materials good gardeners would pile into their compost heap |
#7
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Kay wrote:
In article , Anthony Ward writes The canteen at my workplace wants to improve their recycling statistics and so is bagging up the used coffee grounds from the machine and offering this free to customers for their garden compost bins. A colleague has said this is not a good idea because the grounds are too acidic. I would appreciate knowing the thoughts of experienced gardeners on this please. I am not particularly wanting to grow acid-loving plants. You are unlikely to be creating a compost heap purely of coffee grounds. But even if you were - The best compost I ever made used to consist, daily, of a couple of handfuls of potato and veg peelings, the tea leaves from about 6 pots of lapsang suchong tea and a bucket of urine. I have also heard that one should not add citrus peel to the compost bin for the same reason. Does the group agree? No Just chuck in everything of organic origin, from tea-leaves to dead rats. People talk rubbish about this. The desperately thin layer of this planet which can support life as we know it consists mostly of the rotted remains of life as we know it: that's how it works. Mix it up a bit of course: a thick layer of grass cuttings or newspapers will slow the process down, though it won't stop it in the end. The compost heap is our promise of immortality! When this planet has finished with our bits, a new star will gobble them up and make something bright and new. -- Mike. |
#8
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Hello,
Coffee Grounds can help to keep slugs at bay, but must not be used around food crops as crop may have slightly distorted flavour. Add to compost heap in small amounts only. Best wishes, Gerald. Quote:
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#9
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On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:23:21 +0100, "Mike Lyle"
wrote: Just chuck in everything of organic origin, from tea-leaves to dead rats. I thought I read dead CATS! Pam in Bristol |
#10
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Thanks for the advice on coffee grounds.
Reassured, I brought more home from work today! Now for another post about a foxy problem... |
#11
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The message
from Janet Baraclough contains these words: The message from Pam Moore contains these words: On Tue, 7 Jun 2005 01:23:21 +0100, "Mike Lyle" wrote: Just chuck in everything of organic origin, from tea-leaves to dead rats. I thought I read dead CATS! he wuz rong. Dead rats is strictly for the septic tank. septic sceptic Only to start it off - and I understand that a wabbit is better. /sceptic -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
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