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Montoursville, PA

How can coffee grounds be so good? Well now let's take a look.

Coffee grounds have a lower carbon to nitrogen ratio than manure. The carbon to nitrogen ratio is about 12/1 while manure is around 15/1. If you feel obcessed to play with the NPK numbers they would be something like 2-.5-.2. The potassium level is variable from one batch to the next but is low and never a problem.

You may add coffee grounds directly to your garden as well as to your compost where they will serve to help break down the components of compost. How many? Lots!

An ideal C/N ratio, for compost, is 35/1. Coffee grounds will help adjust leaves at 50/1 down to a more desirable ratio as one example of what takes place.

The worst thing that could happen is the PH could drop a percentage tenth of a point or so yearly which is similar to the drop seen in normal growing. It would take a mighty hefty add on of coffee to cause any visable change attributed directly to the coffee. A touch of lime or other PH adjusting element would be called for in your fall soil test.

But the above is only the small picture. Coffee grounds hold water by adding instant humus. Coffee grounds are the favorite food of earth worms. Earth worms poop casts the highest valued fertilizer in the world. They create their weight in casts daily. So play with your pencil a little.
There is no reason why your natural worm population could not create a percentage point or two of your soil volume without to much effort..........but you need to keep the synthetic chemicals off their backs so they can increase in health and numbers.

So coffee grounds are a win, win, win situation. Coffee grounds are at least as good as manure flying right out of the producer's butt. Yes and yea I say unto you they do smell better too. :) Yes they are! But do not forget to look beyond the NPK to the bacteria source which no coffee maker can supply. You still need the manures.

4/30/2004 11:19:05 AM