I finally got myself a compost bin to speed up the process rather than my old method of "till it under and wait".
I've read that coffee grounds make good compost - something about earthworms liking it. My question is "How much is too much?" The household consumption of coffee is at least a half gallon per day. This quickly adds up to a lot of grounds.
TIA
Here's a link that discusses coffee grounds in compost:
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Zone 5b Canada's Far East.
Get a seperate bin for those and use one for 3/4 wet garbage 1/4 coffee grounds, the other 3/4 coffee grounds and 1/4 wet garbage.
We just toss them on the pile by the fence. About once a week they're turned under with the other non meaty kitchen waste.
Great link. Thanks.
You didn't mention the size of the bin or what you add most. If small (tumbler?) and mostly kitchen stuff, there's enough green, and you can apply the grounds directly to the plants. If large and brown leafy and you really want it cooking, find a feedstore and order a 50# bag of alfalfa meal ($10), soak a couple of pitchers full in a 5 gallon bucket and incorporate in the pile. Coffee also has zinc and alfalfa has some good growth enzymes. The same 5 gallon bucket can make alfalfa tea over a couple of days, with or without an airstone for a good nitrogen soak.
The guideline is 50% brown material, 50% green material. If your compost pile stinks or is cold it is out of balance. A compost pile should be warm (or even steaming) and for that one cubic yard of material is ideal, anything less and it is less likely "to cook." A compost pile is like a living thing--something you don't get if you spread material over the ground and till it in. Coffee grounds is "brown" material. Freshly cut grass is green material. Experiment until you understand it. It's really easy and simple!
Well, I stand corrected. After reading the link provided it says coffee grounds are a "green" material as they contain high amounts of nitrogen. After 30 years of successful composting it must not be all that important and I add coffee grounds often. My compost piles steam in the middle of winter!
Great site. I can vouch for worms love of coffee grounds. My daughter's worm bin is veritable bee hive of activity when I add grounds....
CCheryl Isaak wrote in news:C240FFBA.67A1D% snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:
Cheryl, were you the poster who's daughter brought home the worm compost project from school? How's it working out?
I've added up to 20 lbs of grounds per day to a fairly large compost heap without overloading it. Used to get mine from a coffee shop down the road from where I lived. Since coffee grounds are somewhat acidic you might want to add a little dolomitic lime each time you add the grounds.
George
It almost makes me want to start drinking coffee...
;)
Zone 5b in Canada's Far East.
On 4/10/07 10:06 AM, in article evg5l8$n13$ snipped-for-privacy@blackhelicopter.databasix.com, "FragileWarrior" >>> earthworms
Yes and very well. I've managed to harvest "worm poo" once and have lots of "baby worms" along with larger ones. I'm thinking about splitting what's there (worms, bedding and all) in half for a second box.
Dang, they're happy.
Cheryl
Cheryl Isaak wrote in news:C2414FBF.67A6E% snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:
Cool. I'm glad you're having so much fun with your daughter's project! :)
Giggle, giggle, she loves them too. Today she brought home a terrarium and a teeny cactus. I'm sad that the "Apprentice Gardener" program is only for third graders.
Cheryl
Cheryl Isaak wrote in news:C2418E67.67A90% snipped-for-privacy@comcast.net:
Check to see if there is a Master Gardener's program in your county. (If you have a cooperative extension agent, that's where to start.) The Apprentice Gardener program may well be an off-shoot of the MG program.
I'm in my seventh week of the classes and I'm having a GREAT time. If you like all things gardening, you might really have a good time taking the course. And when the classes are over you still have to volunteer/learn so many hours a year to keep your MG status so you really get into lots of interesting things that you might not have gotten into otherwise. Composting is certainly a big area of interest to MGs.
Our class is designing a 6 acres jogging/cross-country path/nature path at a local school complex. We get to recommend the plants, designs, landscaping rocks and other assorted fun things and they bring in people and heavy equipment to get the job done plus they fund it all. Playing with other people's money is FUN. :)
On 4/11/07 2:09 PM, in article evj89l$3e4$ snipped-for-privacy@blackhelicopter.databasix.com, "FragileWarrior" you have a cooperative extension agent, that's where to start.) The
Actually, this is the "brain child" of a local master gardener. Her boys surely aren't into the garden... LOL I don't know why it is only open to the third graders, but such is life. My daughter is my buddy in the garden and loves her time planting, picking flowers and cutting back. Can't get her into weeding yet. But if the weather warms up a little this weekend, I'll hand her the shears for the ornamental grasses.
Last time I signed up to take the NH course, I found out I was expected the third grader. So no time off from work to take the class since I was arriving late due to morning sickness. I might try again, but I hear the wait list is up to 3 years long
I'd love to see pictures.
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