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Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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Posted by chester_grant 6 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 11, 07 at 14:02
| I save all my coffee grinds separately from other biodegradables - my thought being that the coffee grind material would be a great potting soil or at least an addition to potting soil. I produce about a pound or two a week so that I now have several cubic feet! Will the chemicals associated with the coffee grinds (whatever they may be) be harmful to plants (or more importantly seedlings) at all? Also would edible plants or herbs taste bad as a result of the coffee?
My guess is that coffee grinds are acidic - so maybe if they are left out in the rain to "detox" that might help? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| In general, you don't want to use any uncomposted material as a potting mix. In some cases, limited amounts may be included in a potting mix, but the majority should be something else. I don't know what the pH of coffee grounds is, but it could be way too acidic for good plant growth. If you start composting them now, they should be usable by next year, maybe sooner. Having said that, you can always try growing something in a side-by-side trial and see how it compares to a standard potting mix. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| Good suggestion botanybob - what I have observed is that errant japanese maple seedlings have sprouted - univited - in the coffee grinds left out in the open........so the ph maybe isn't too high for them! |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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Coffee grounds are sup-po9sed to be acidic, but I have not found any listing of what the axctual pH is. I would suspect that, like Oak leaves and Pine Needles, you would need to add tons of coffee grounds to your soil before any significant change in soil pH would occur, so that they are acidic would not be of concern to me. Starbucks saya the nutrients available from coffee grounds is
Primary Nutrients
Nitrogen 1.45%
Phosphorus ND ug/g
Potassium 1204 ug/g Secondary Nutrients
Calcium 389 ug/g
Magnesium 448 ug/g
Sulfur high ug/g
Notes:
ND = indicates sample is below detection limit
ug/g = microgram / gram
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RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| Used coffee grounds will be fairly close to neutral. Raw grounds can be quite acidic. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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I don't have an answer for you, but your post brought to mind a peculiar habit my husband's grandmother has. She regularly dumps her used grounds outside her back door each morning, right on top of the plants growing around her back porch. I always thought it was because she didn't want them in her trash can...now, after reading your post, I have an idea why she does that.
The grounds don't seem to harm the plants - they look fabulous. Lush and green. But she has plants that are acid-loving, if I remember correctly. RENEE |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| As a follow-up to Renee's point, my mom used to do the same thing, telling me as a child that coffee was like a fertilizer - flowers did great. I don't think used grounds will hurt the plants - if used as a soil additive. Doubtful that the grounds should be the entire soil, however. Add the extra to your compost. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| Caution: Not all plants like the high nitrogen content of used coffee grounds. It can kill heaths and heathers, for example. However, hostas love coffee grounds and slugs don't. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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- Posted by morz8 Z8 Wa coast (My Page) on
Fri, Jun 15, 07 at 10:59
| Thoughts from some posters who have tried grounds as a substitute for other potting mediums here - |
Here is a link that might be useful: Coffee ground thread
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| Should you use used coffee grinds or dry unused ones? |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| I have tried putting the grinds around my hostas as a slug annoyance. Apparently the critters dont like the multi-mini-terrain for their slimy movement. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| It really isn't the coffee grounds themselves that are so beneficial to your plants but who they invite to the picnic. Earthworms *love* coffee grounds and will travel to get some....earthworms are our friends ; ) |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| I kept a bucket of used coffee grounds indoors and they got really moldy. I wouldn't recommend using them alone. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| I am in 7th grade attending High Desert School in Acton, CA. I am doing an experiment for a class grade and one of my variables is coffee grounds. I planted the seeds on the 2nd of April, and so far, the coffee plant has not sprouted, while the other two have. I would not recommend using it as soil, because it definitely doesn't help the plant grow. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| I dump mine around my wifes Roses along with banana peels. They seem to like them just fine. Now mind you I only dump about 4 tbs of grounds a week or less even as I dont always drink coffee. |
RE: Coffee grinds....as potting soil?
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| I've been adding used coffee grounds to my Rudbeckias (Moreno and Cherry Brandy) and they are going nuts and getting huge. I like to think that they are looking great due to my skill and good use of recycled matter, but I think it may just be that they grow quickly around here. |
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