As posted to the Organic Gardening Forum.

Hi All!

I checked out all of the Organic Post's and FAQ's and was unable to find a thread on using stale coffee. I first would like to know if you thought since so many use coffee grounds as an amendment to composting is using stale coffee considered to be organic?

I live in Zone 5 in Upstate Central New York and since early winter I have been saving whatever is left over in the pot and now have amassed several gallons of stale coffee.

To make a long story short I have a 3 year old Rose of Sharon bush that I pulled from my Garden as a seedling in Nov 2001. It is nothing less than stunted because I've kept it in a plastic drinking cup all of this time and its overall growth is about 12".

The reason IÂm mentioning is I"m relatively new to the GW and have read that on occasion members of the GW use coffee in their compost piles. I decided this year to water the R of S with this stale coffee brew and the results have been amazing. The plant has been placed on a south side windowsill and the leaf growth is the best I have ever had, just as green and close to the same foliage on a full sized bush. In fact it's phenomenal if you were to see the growth over the prior 2 Fall and Winter Seasons.

I have used the brew full strength and I would like to know if any of you use stale coffee to water your indoor seed plantingÂs that you will soon be starting? If so do you use full strength or dilute?

Thanks in advance.

Jim