25-35% used coffee grounds in soil mix.

C

cerberus5

Member
coffee is relatively neutral as far as ph goes and has a similar texture to soil so not surprised by the outcome. Though I am surprised that it offers any benefit past filler and worm food.
 
Mad Hamish

Mad Hamish

Well-Known Member
cerberus5 said:
coffee is relatively neutral as far as ph goes and has a similar texture to soil so not surprised by the outcome. Though I am surprised that it offers any benefit past filler and worm food.
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Try to read links before commenting mate. pH of 6.2. Far as cannabis is concerned, that leans towards acidic.

Thanks for this link AllenHaze. Cool stuff indeed.
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
No prob. I thought it was interesting. Ph problems are so common and there are times when you can't get to the store. This and the eggshell article I feel will be helpful for those on a limited budget. Take care and stay green! :bigjoint:
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
cerberus5 said:
coffee is relatively neutral as far as ph goes and has a similar texture to soil so not surprised by the outcome. Though I am surprised that it offers any benefit past filler and worm food.
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I know this is really what prompted me to add the link. I have read so many articles about using coffee grounds in small amounts in gardens but as high as 25-35% really caught my eye with this one.
 
SpicySativa

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
AllenHaze said:
No prob. I thought it was interesting. Ph problems are so common and there are times when you can't get to the store. This and the eggshell article I feel will be helpful for those on a limited budget. Take care and stay green! :bigjoint:
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I would say that people THINKING they have pH problems is very common. People ACTUALLY having pH problems in organic systems is quite rare... That's one of the biggest motivators to grow organically. No more fiddling with pH. The more you chase that "perfect" pH in organic soil, the more problems you will have.
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
SpicySativa said:
I would say that people THINKING they have pH problems is very common. People ACTUALLY having pH problems in organic systems is quite rare... That's one of the biggest motivators to grow organically. No more fiddling with pH. The more you chase that "perfect" pH in organic soil, the more problems you will have.
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I thought so too, for the most part I still believe this. I got some FFOF but it read 5.8 out of the bag after a month of sitting on it. Bags that sit longer tend to be more acidic as a result of the organic matter breaking down further in the mix I guess. The coffee grounds isn't something I'll be adding to my current OF but def some lime or ground eggshells. I mean, there are ground oyster shell in the OF mix but it can't be doing very much for my bag. I think it is more common for people to think they have a nute deficiency when in fact it is a pH problem. After all once the pH goes the problems with nute uptake start rearing their ugly heads. I understand your point though. Grab a bag of OF throw some lime in and some microbe food and your set pretty much all the way through veg. Last batch I had I didn't add a thing until 5 weeks after veg when they went into flower. Plants grew like, well, like weeds. bongsmilie
 
kinddiesel

kinddiesel

Well-Known Member
coffee works because it has some nutrients in it the plant can use ...best is to use it soil dirt. and feed the plant. unless you don't plan on not feeding the plant ever . then use coffee grounds , lol it would be a low cost grow. and lucky if the plant makes it through flowering . at 6 inches tall. but yes coffee is know to work very well for a no cost grow for flowers some thing small.
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
Coffee grounds are secret ingredient in my Azalea formula.

Someone recently I came across was swearing by them as a booster, for when they 1st transplant young seedlings. They top dress with grounds and they supposed to be better than sliced bread. Personally, depending on your bean, you could be seeing a fair amount of proteins [enzymes] polyphenols, tannins and bunch of other stuff that can help the plant grow. Not surprised about 25-35%

I bet [and I almost positive that they do] grounds have elevated levels of calcium. If anyone keeps up on Hans Jenny, he advocated calcium and argued that it is one [if not thee] of the most used macronutrients and needed to be well kept up in soil level, especially because it is one of the 1st minerals that are washed out of the solution. Cool stuff.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
I use amounts like this when making up my worm bedding. I make a peat based bedding and usually have plenty of extra coffee grounds especially in the winter when the worms slow down. During the warmer months I'll just add the grounds to the top of the bin along with fresh comfrey.

After mixing up the bedding, I'll let it sit outside for a month or 2 to get things broken down before bringing it in. No big deal since I only harvest 3x/year. Once after the winter and twice in the warmer months, so getting it ready well before time is no big deal.

I use 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes to age and keep it in.

I also quit using eggshells years ago after finding bits of shells that were added 2 years previously. I had also ruined my wife's blender and she forbid me using the new one. It is a WHOLE lot simpler to spend $4.50 for a 40lb bag of dolomite lime and avoid pissing off the wife.

Never tried using the coffee grounds directly with the plants since running them through the worms first works so well. I might try them on my Azalea's though. I think this is why a neighbors do so much better than mine.

Wet
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Wetdog said:
I use amounts like this when making up my worm bedding. I make a peat based bedding and usually have plenty of extra coffee grounds especially in the winter when the worms slow down. During the warmer months I'll just add the grounds to the top of the bin along with fresh comfrey.

After mixing up the bedding, I'll let it sit outside for a month or 2 to get things broken down before bringing it in. No big deal since I only harvest 3x/year. Once after the winter and twice in the warmer months, so getting it ready well before time is no big deal.

I use 5 gallon buckets with drainage holes to age and keep it in.

I also quit using eggshells years ago after finding bits of shells that were added 2 years previously. I had also ruined my wife's blender and she forbid me using the new one. It is a WHOLE lot simpler to spend $4.50 for a 40lb bag of dolomite lime and avoid pissing off the wife.

Never tried using the coffee grounds directly with the plants since running them through the worms first works so well. I might try them on my Azalea's though. I think this is why a neighbors do so much better than mine.

Wet
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Thanks Wet. Seems you've been doing this awhile. Happy to soak up your experience. I have been baking my eggshells in a pan after a few days to dry them out then I crush them and toss the pieces into a coffee grinder. The coffee grinder is awesome and grinds them to dust, so fine that it is powdery and floats on the breeze like smoke. I should add I've also used the same coffee grinder to grind buds, and it has become the most effective "keef" collector I've used yet. The grinder has a dome at the top and when the blades spin it creates a vortex, the super light keef particles attach themselves to the plastic dome I'm assuming via static electricity. After a few grinds I take my finger and press it down so it is hard and doesn't break away when I am grinding. I have collected so much thick, sticky keef this way and have yet to see a contraption that works as well! This is the exact model I own currently. I don't suspect the square,edgy grinders to be as effective at creating a vortex. :bigjoint:
http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-E160BY-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B00006IUX5/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1386011434&sr=8-3&keywords=coffee+grinder
 
dannyboy602

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
great read....I throw coffee grounds into my compost heap but didn't know you can use it straight away and in such quantities.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
I've already been warned off the coffee grinder since my wife uses it 3 or more times/week to grind fresh herbs. I get props for growing the herbs, but I can't play with her toys.

No problem, she really is a good cook.

Wet
 
May11th

May11th

Well-Known Member
Hell yeah I need to buy a few of them coffee grinders. I been making all kinds of stuff and I would like to keep my ol lady happy too. Hell now I can not worry sbout her bitching her smoothies are spicy from my habanero foliar spray lol
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
I pick and dry out Stinging nettle for my base fert. Separate $10 grinder is necessary!
 
Blitzedgrowkid08

Blitzedgrowkid08

Well-Known Member
AllenHaze said:
I just posted a link to a study on the use of eggshell as a liming agent. Probably should have posted it in the organics section. Anyways here is another link to an article about a study I came across on the use of used coffee grounds in soil at volumes as high as 25-35 percent. Interesting to say the least. Enjoy.
http://www.sunset.com/garden/earth-friendly/starbucks-coffee-compost-test-00400000016986/
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That's great info I was absolutely unaware of. If it was to be a go to amendment tho my only concern would be availability. If u needed a lot how would a guy get it?
 
AllenHaze

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Blitzedgrowkid08 said:
That's great info I was absolutely unaware of. If it was to be a go to amendment tho my only concern would be availability. If u needed a lot how would a guy get it?
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Haha yea good point. I don't think it would really be worth the effort if you weren't already going through a lot of coffee. If you're serious you can visit your local starbucks and they'll give you their used coffee grounds, it's in their company policy or something you could even try some other coffee shops and see what they say. I personally have 5 eggs, a banana, two cups of strong coffee EVERY day = 150 eggs, 30 banana peels and a bunch of coffee grounds a month that get saved. I'm actually in the process of trying to figure out what to do with it all. bongsmilie
 
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