After getting a 4-gallon pail filled daily and adding it to my compost pile for 3 months, the answer is no. The pile heated up most excellently. Too bad my relationship with that Starbucks 'station' in the local grocery store was soured by one worker who hated putting the grinds in my bucket, so the grocery store policy prevailed and I was no longer allowed to collect anything destined for the trash at the store.

Ben, were you adding a lot of browns to the pile also, or were you just adding in pail after pail of UCGs with no ill effects?

Coffee grounds are a green, but they're a fairly week green (about 20:1 vs 30:1 optimal ratio). If you don't have any browns, the coffee grounds will compost, but may smell a little and may require more frequent turning to keep them from clumping and/or getting hydrophobic.

Coffee grounds are the same "weakness" as ordinary corn meal...which I rely on to fertilize my lawn. If I could get coffee grounds in bulk, I would use them straight on the soil as a fertilizer.

There used to be a lady here who used coffee grounds exclusively on her lawn in SW Canada. She posted pictures of her dark green lawn that really showed how "weak" coffee grounds were.

I think I'm the 'lady' Dchall is refering to. (Thanks Dchall. :O)

Following are pictures of a couple of sections of the lawn. These photos were taken just recently and when we first bought the property, at this time of year it would be all crisp and brown. I fed the lawn wheelbarrows full of UCGs for a couple of years. No fertilizers at all. The lawn wasn't cleaned of weeds so yes they are in there but the Dandelions have somewhat disappeared. There is a lot of white clover now which I leave be since it adds nitrogen to the soil if required - from what I understand.

For half of this year and all of this year I was forbidden to add UCGs to the lawn. DH is tired of mowing it sometimes twice a week to keep it down...

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Uh, Bp said UCG were a "fairly weak green" and in the context of C:N for the purpose of composting, they generally are. (And different sources have different ratios, they're not always listed as being the same.)

I'm gonna guess the volume of the UCGs that tiff used, as opposed to the strength of the green of those grounds, had a larger part to do with how dark green her lawn is. A person might have to look at the whole picture in order to 'get it'.

And speaking of pictures, nice lawn tiff!

Lloyd

Lloyd's right. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of using UCG to fertilize a lawn. That's all I've used for several years. This year is an exception because I'm trying to encourage native grasses that don't need as much N, so I'm not fertilizing at all. But for years, that was all I used. And my lawn was usually the greenest on the block.

But compared with something like grass clippings, chicken manure, or something grain based like soybean meal, coffee grounds have a relatively high C:N ratio. When I compost them, I add a carbon source, but they won't stink too badly if you compost them by themselves.

One note on using them for a fertilizer whether on the lawn or the garden, is that you shouldn't put them in a layer more than about 1/2 inch thick or they can crust up and repel water.

Tiffy, that's truly gorgeous.

Awe shucks!! Don't even bother layering the stuff. Just fling it. Grab a handfull and pretend you are skimming stones on the water at the beach - that kind of movement. I do it before a rainy night. The worms love the stuff and they'll aerate your lawn while coming up to munch on the coffee. Then they'll go back in the soil and poop in it.

Sometimes I wonder what's most beneficial here - the UCGs or the worms doing their thing...

Tiffy, it's like green velvet! I love looking at your lawn pics when you post them...the flowers are wonderful too. Did you and your husband do the rock walls, or did you have them professionally done? Love the look. Do you use Starbucks grounds, or home brewed?

Deanna

tiffy_z5_6_can said,

I think I'm the 'lady' Dchall is refering to. (Thanks Dchall. :O)

Hi Tiffy. You are not the one I was thinking of; however, ZOWIE! Your success certainly makes the point about coffee grounds!! Thanks.

No my reference was to someone living in Vancouver. I have not seen her post in years. We are all of the same GardenWeb vintage, 2002.

I didn't realize how beneficial coffee grounds could be (which is fantastic, considering how much coffee I make). Thanks for all the great tips everyone!

AlphaRed,

I am afraid that in my posts I never did address the original question you posed and that we all went off on a tangent in the excitement of discussing UCGs. :O)

Although I have slowed down a bit, for several years I was bringing home about 250 pounds of UCGs a week if not more. I composted the majority of it. In the winter it would be composted in windrows which were kept warm by the UCGs activating the compost every week, even at -15C to -20C. Tricky, but it can be done especially if less of the carbon add-ins are thrown into the mix during this cold season than in the summer.

You undoubtedly have to add carbons (browns) such as leaves and such and I have discovered that in composting UCGs, you don't need as much as if you were composting veggies, lawn clippings, etc, BUT there are times when your UCGs will become anaerobic and start stinking if you don't supply/introduce them to air and mix those carbons in. Not something that's written in a book as to quantities so experimenting and getting to know the 'how much' and 'when to turn' things can be a learning experience.

A one yard plastic compost bin? You can easily throw in a couple of 5 gallon buckets full of UCGs in there every week along with some browns/carbons and it will make some great compost. Don't forget to make sure there is sufficient moisture. I always take the hose out and mix it while the water is sprinkling on my goodies.

Deanna,

DH? Garden? Do outside work?? LMAO!!! :O) He's allergic to fresh air and sunshine and would rather play Resident Evil on the Wii.

The lower rock wall was here when we bought the house in 2001. There was not a flower/shrub on the property and above that rock wall was just weeds going up the hill. Any secondary walls were built by me in 2003 - at no cost since I dumpster dived all summer at a brick manufacturer's place. We also grow rocks here... Not kidding. Every winter heaves more rocks out of the ground bit by bit.

The coffee was picked-up daily from a gas station up the road which sold loads of the stuff. They would fill 2 to 3 cat litter buckets a day and keep them for me. I would collect every day and then deal with the UCGs on the weekends.

Thanks for the compliments every one. Just remember that it's not instant, but it sure is rewarding!! And it lasts longer than granular steroids. :O)

Check out this pile of ucg
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those are 20 gallon blue containers, i get 2 a week from starbucks.
I mix them with brown leaves and they break down in 1 year

Wait a minute -- do I understand that you put UNCOMPOSTED coffee grounds directly on the lawn to fertilize it?

Rain2Fall

"Wait a minute -- do I understand that you put UNCOMPOSTED coffee grounds directly on the lawn to fertilize it? "

Yes. Uncomposted, UCG are a mild fertilizer (about 2% N). If you compost, you get an amendment.

Compost Pete-grower: Where did you find such wonderful 20 gal barrels? I regularly pickup large bags of UCG from Starbucks and disperse them across the garden, lawn, compost piles, etc. But, I find myself somewhat coveting your blue barrels LOL.

Personally, I didn't notice any huge difference this year. But I am willing to accept that this is the first season I've tried it, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to lushness next year when this year's high-octane UCG compost goes into use!

Good thread, excellent info, and amazing pics!!!!

Great pile & photo pete.

Here is a link that might be useful: cafe coffeee

Its all good sylviatexas. A whole world of used coffee grounds collection awaits!

Thanks, sylviatexas. Keeping an eye out for spammers is always a good thing.
I am a little coffee crazy, with tons of waste coffee.
I how ever did not mean to flood the site with old coffee post & am sorry for that.
I was doing research for a on line friend & searched Garden web for old coffee post & as always got carried away, again.
John & Shane thank you also.