How much coffee grounds in a compost pile?? - LawnSite.com™

CorkscrewWillow · #1 06-06-2011, 01:17 PM

My wife is a coffee drinker, 1/2 pot per day.
I've been putting the coffee grounds in our home compost pile.
How much is to much?? Adverse affects?? Benefits??
She goes through about 1# per month of ground coffee.

Thoughts??

phasthound · #2 06-06-2011, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorkscrewWillow

My wife is a coffee drinker, 1/2 pot per day.
I've been putting the coffee grounds in our home compost pile.
How much is to much?? Adverse affects?? Benefits??
She goes through about 1# per month of ground coffee.

Thoughts??

How big is your compost pile? What else are you adding to it?
You might want to get this book. The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener.

NattyLawn · #3 06-06-2011, 10:14 PM

1lb per month isn't much at all.

No adverse effects, and the benefits are worms love them.

Smallaxe · #4 06-07-2011, 08:11 AM

Put the coffee grounds right on the turf...

CorkscrewWillow · #5 06-07-2011, 05:26 PM

Thanx guys
I was a tad worried about the pH lowering with the addition of coffee grounds but 1# per month in a 500# compost pile is not much now that I think about it.

phasthound · #6 06-07-2011, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorkscrewWillow

Thanx guys
I was a tad worried about the pH lowering with the addition of coffee grounds but 1# per month in a 500# compost pile is not much now that I think about it.

Yea, you're good to go.

Smallaxe · #7 06-08-2011, 08:52 AM

Isn't it true that any material that may be acidic when alive, will compost down close to 'neutral'?

Pine needles and Oak leaves etc., that their acids will also break down into neutral components. Is that true?

JDUtah · #8 06-08-2011, 12:50 PM

As far as I understand the ions wont break down so much as be utilized into more stable forms

Smallaxe · #9 06-08-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDUtah

As far as I understand the ions wont break down so much as be utilized into more stable forms

Well, coffee grounds are considered to lose there acidic qualities in the brewing itself... Therefore the UCG had already lost their acidic qualities...

Do you know of a discussion of this phenomena, which may shed some light on this situation?

Stillwater · #10 06-09-2011, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smallaxe

Well, coffee grounds are considered to lose there acidic qualities in the brewing itself... Therefore the UCG had already lost their acidic qualities...

Do you know of a discussion of this phenomena, which may shed some light on this situation?

http://www.green-talk.com/2007/10/10...friend-or-foe/