Coffee grinds - how do you apply them?

[bigbad]

So I have an espresso machine, and I pull shots of espresso from time to time. Afterward, I have a spent puck of ground espresso that I just toss into the garbage can.

However, I heard that you can use these coffee grinds for your garden. I just never understood in what context...

Do you use it in place of compost?

Do you just break up the puck of ground espresso and sprinkle it over your plants?

I don't get it.

I have raspberry plants that I just planted. Wondering if I can just lay out these spent pucks next to the them?

 

[Smiles Jr.]

For many years I have tossed all of our coffee grounds into the compost pile.
What does "I pull shots of espresso from time to time" mean?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Bigbad, my sympathy to your stomach.

Smiles, there are different intensities, but the basic idea of espresso is you force steam through finely ground coffee and get something very thick and strong. You can take it straight or use it to make other drinks. Various versions of this are extremely popular in many parts fo the world. You are left with a small amount of coffee grounds usually in a small round hard shape, much like a miniature hockey puck.

I put my coffee grounds in the compost too. I'll let others talk about how to use them straight in the garden since I don't do that.

 

[CountryGirl]

Hi Bigbad,

I have used coffee grounds and tea leaves directly in my garden. You can put them around the base of your plants. I am not familiar with espresso but if the coffee grounds are hard I would break them up so you can sprinkle them around. I save the grounds from the coffee pot at work (we have a 45 cup coffeemaker) and use them in my garden. Since the garden is such a muddy mess right now I put the grounds in my compost, but this summer they will go directly in my garden. I have heard that it will also repel some pest but I have not investigated this.

 

[barefootgardener]

I pour leftover cooled coffee around the ground of my blueberry bushes and tomatoes and strawberries..I freeze leftover coffee in the winter time..then thaw to use when the weather warms..

As for coffee grounds,and tea, I use it along with crushed eggshells and sprinkle it at the base of my plants (Rose bushes too) and put some in the hole when transplanting tomatoes etc. in the garden. It also goes into the compost heap in winter..

 

[bigbad]

For many years I have tossed all of our coffee grounds into the compost pile.
What does "I pull shots of espresso from time to time" mean?

It's just espresso lingo LOL

Instead of saying, "I made coffee," you say, "I pulled a shot of espresso," or "I pulled a double shot," etc.

Ridgerunner does it a great job of explaining the basics of espresso. It's pretty much concentrated coffee. Some people can down shots of espresso, like shots of tequila.

I personally can't do that, so I'll usually make a latte or cappucino with steamed milk.

 

[bigbad]

Hi Bigbad,

I have used coffee grounds and tea leaves directly in my garden. You can put them around the base of your plants. I am not familiar with espresso but if the coffee grounds are hard I would break them up so you can sprinkle them around. I save the grounds from the coffee pot at work (we have a 45 cup coffeemaker) and use them in my garden. Since the garden is such a muddy mess right now I put the grounds in my compost, but this summer they will go directly in my garden. I have heard that it will also repel some pest but I have not investigated this.

Thanks a lot.

Question: Is there such a thing as too much coffee grounds? For example, I only have four raspberry plants right now. Can I crumble up spent pucks of espresso grounds, everyday for these four plants?

In other words, one puck of espresso grounds per plant, twice a week. Is that too much?

 

[bigbad]

I pour leftover cooled coffee around the ground of my blueberry bushes and tomatoes and strawberries..I freeze leftover coffee in the winter time..then thaw to use when the weather warms..

As for coffee grounds,and tea, I use it along with crushed eggshells and sprinkle it at the base of my plants (Rose bushes too) and put some in the hole when transplanting tomatoes etc. in the garden. It also goes into the compost heap in winter..

Can't the egg shells develop salmonella? And if so, can it poison the plants? Especially with salmonella/peanut butter crisis a while back...

 

[CountryGirl]

Hi BigBad,

I have never had that problem since I have a large garden 45 X 60. I also put the grounds and tea leaves in the flower beds. I guess too much of a good thing can hurt. What's the saying, "Everything in moderation." The grounds are not so much for the plants as for the worms and other organism that like to eat your compost and turn it into something your plants like. So I guess my answer would be that if you have somewhere else to put your grounds, try rotating the areas that you would put them. Even your potted plants in the house. Everywhere there is soil is a good place to put them.

Your question is a good one. I'll have to do a little research on this. Found this interesting article on the web.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/soil/2002015354019975.html

 

[AmyRey]

That article reminds me of a bucket of bags of spent coffee grinds that Starbucks kept by door - free for the taking.