There is still a lot of misinformation out there regarding the benefits of coffee grounds in the garden. Like most other organic matter, the nutrient content is pretty low - NPK is typically assessed at 1.5-2.5 - .5 - .5. That's only 2.5% nitrogen at most, so its reported value as a "high nitrogen source" is bogus. And it is not particularly fast release or readily available - less than .1% (that's less than one tenth of one percent) of that is immediately available, the rest is tied up in the organic matter and must be digested by soil organisms before it can become available and be taken up by plants. And that takes time :-) And it is true that UCG's contain allelopathic properties that will affect the development and growth of some plants, especially seedlings. There's also a lot of conflicting information about the pH of UCG's - some literature will report they are highly acidic; others that they approach a neutral pH. The truth is actually somewhere in between, with a slightly acidic pH of around 6.0 to 6.3. As a mulch they do produce some negative qualities - because of the very small particle size they can form a rather dense, crusty surface that will repel water if allowed to dry out, much like peat moss or sawdust does if used as a mulch. If you do use them directly, scratch them into the soil surface to a depth of several inches rather than as a surface application or topdressing. I'd recommend their inclusion in to the compost or as a primary ingredient in vermicomposting before applying directly to the soil. They are a very good 'green' (C:N of 24:1) and the composting process will neutralize the acidity (if that is a concern) as well as any allelopathic properties. As to potential harm to dogs, I'd agree with gamekeeper (30+ years of gardening with dogs myself) and say that's pretty much a non-issue. Unless you've got some strange animal with a serious caffeine jones going on, dogs are just not attracted to UCG's. Now cocoa bean hulls are a different story :-) Here is a link that might be useful: The coffee grounds test results

Thanks Paleo Problem is i have no browns to add right now. when spring gets here i will have a ton of grass from me and 2 neighbors yards, with a little leaf mixed in The only table scraps worth mentioning is a bit of papaya and some other fruit peels, maybe an occasional bit of lettuce etc... its a huge wide bin, not very tall, i did it that way to be able to add to one side, and turn the other side with a shovel etc... On a side note. I had an old pile of grass i kept adding to (with grounds too) just laying on the ground. every time i tried to cover it, or turn it before the rain, the rain always seemed to beat me. So it would rain for hours making the pile soggy and gross (it rains a LOT here -New Orleans) There were chunks of grounds that were never turned properly. Eventually it dried out, but i still had chunks of gooey stuff its several months old, and starting to break down. I am wondering if i can add that, or if i would be better breaking it up finely and using it as top dressing compost for weeds and stuff ?

Shane, I collect ~ 8 five-gallon buckets of UCG/tea and filters weekly from my local Shoney's restaurant here in South Boston, Virginia, hardly a dot on anyone's map. They could not be nicer to me and bend over backwards to help me, to the point of loading the heavy buckets into my car trunk. I'm 67. They don't know my age, but know I could use the help. Before that, I was collecting from Sheetz, a "family" owned business selling gas, sandwiches, donuts, and such. A new manager (young, clueless, and enamored by "power") came in, looked at the (cleaned) buckets awaiting coffee grounds and mandated "That's unprofessional. Stop doing that." Score: Shoney's Restaurnant ........... 100% cooperative Sheetz .................................. 100% ignorant

The word is "Hugelkultur". That's what my mom used to practice, on a small scale. When preparing a vegetable bed, she would strip the area of all the top vegetation - weeds, ferns, shrubs, saplings. She then strips the layer of top soil and put this aside. Next she would dig a trench in the ground - orientated north-south lengthwise. How deep this trench is depends on how difficult the soil is to work on. In this trench, she would throw in all the woody twigs, small trunks, and rotten debris. Next, she would cover this with the weeds/ferns/saplings that she collected from clearing the area. She compacts this down with a "hoe". She uses the top soil she had previously set aside to complete the final layer. The final result is a long mound on which she would grow her spring onions, pak choi, chilli, etc. The mound usually ends up about 20 feet long, about 3-4 feet wide, and approximately 2 feet high. It often ends up not looking all that pretty - it would be crooked, and the height and width would vary. But, boy didn't it produce good crops!! (She would grow sun/heat loving crops n the west side of the mound, and the less sun tolerant types on the east side.). She uses fern leaves to mulch the soil. A heavy tropical down pour would easily wash away the top layer of good soil if left unmulched. I did not know, until recently, that this technique of vegetable growing that my mom used to practise more than 40 years ago actually has a more fancy name "Hugelkultur", done on a much larger scale. Now-a-days, in addition to maintaining a compose bin, I collect the larger chunks of organic waste by setting them aside in a pile through the growing season. In the winter, I trench the beds, throw in all the organic materials, together with any kitchen wastes that may be sitting around, and build up my "Hugelkultur" bed - albeit on a small scale.