Time to publish results of the second coffee grounds survey posted onto Ground to Ground.
The question is – How do you use spent coffee grounds?
- 41% add to compost
- 33% add directly to soil
- 19% worm farm
- 3% animal feed
- 2% mix in water
- 2% other (1% used in no-dig vegie garden, 1% top of house plants)
Analysis of the Survey Results
I’m a bit surprised that you add coffee grounds directly into the soil more often than in the worm farm.
Earthworms love coffee grounds and they will not only help create a huge population, but conditions within the worm farm will improve, with an end product of rich and potent vermicast, perfect for making worm team.
I would be interested to hear from the 3 people that are using coffee grounds as an animal feed. Scattered within the limited amount of literature for used coffee grounds are references to them being used in this way, and there is no reason why this couldn’t still be practiced in the field.
And no surprises with the top choice – adding coffee grounds to compost. This is a great way to create a heap of new soil for little to no cost.
Thank you to all of you that took part in this survey, and hope you continue to share your experiences and knowledge for the benefit of everyone who visits the site.
And if you have not yet had some input into this important question – here it is!
Related articles
- 8 Steps to Worm Composting (urbanfig.wordpress.com)
- How To: Build a Compost Bin (groundtoground.org)
- Thank you for collecting used coffee grounds in 2011 (groundtoground.org)
Ground to Ground 
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I have been on most of your posts and really love the site. Just thought to let you know!
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I have a bit of a problem with onion weed at the moment. Very hard to pull the bulb out. Think it could make it worse by spreading the seed. I have read somewhere it hates nitrogen and only thrives in nitrogen deficient soil. I wonder If applying some coffee grounds or liquid coffee grounds would do the trick. Might try Urea as well.
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If you are talking about wild garlic, which is from Europe. It will grow in coffee compost, I never seen a soil it would not grow in.The Allium vineale has photo at this link: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Allium+vineale. I have it growing though four coffee bags, that I used as mulch, even straw & leaves. I remove it, pull it out of tilled soil & crush the bulbs.
I also have problems with wild dew berries & Bahia perennial grass.Which is hard because I am an Organic Gardener. jolj
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How about putting a layer of newspaper over it and then covering that with plenty of grounds and compost? Even the Kikuyu grass dies under that.
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I have found nothing to stop the 3 weeds I posted earlier.
I non organic friend used round-up to kill plant for next years garden & these three plants did not die.
He said he used blue label,not purple or black, he feels they are to strong could harm the soil, I agree.
I burned off a half acre (125 feet X 125feet or 40X40 meters) & these 3 came back. So I dig & pull, I am making head way, but can not leave the bed until for a year or it looks like I never touched it.
I am trying cardboard boxes in my berry orchard, but for the garden you need to put boxes down the form a raised bed on top of them.
JOLJ
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Wow great advice thanks mate.
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Yeah it looks and reads indestructible. Will keep an eye out for it at my place.
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Hi Shane,
I am still on GW & I still using coffee waste(chaff,whole green & roasted beans, unused coffee grounds(was on floor or not fit to drink) & used coffee grounds that has made coffee.
I am using composted coffee ground exclusive in this Spring garden.
Have pic’s if you would like them.
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Yeah you bet mate, always wanted to get your famous coffee compost onto the site!
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Great survey – as a statistician one can comment that it is not a large sample but valid nevertheless. And an interesting subject matter more than makes up for that.
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Thanks Etai – Would be happier with 1000 responses but will take what I get 😉
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Shane, getting excellent results but sifting the grounds first to get to powder (using worm farm tray). I let them go a bit mouldy first. I then put in worm farm. They love it. I find because it is so fine after the worms are finished with it, it falls through to the water tray below ready for me to use ( I am uising 100% coffee grounds for the worms so I find I dont get any liquid). I then place the contents in a bucket and scrap out a little bit at a time into another bucket. This forces the worms down away from the sunlight. Close to the bottom of the bucket there are hundreds of worms so I place them back in the worm farm. I am left with fantastic worm castings to use in garden and to make worm tea.
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100% as a feed for the worms? Nice one mate. Have not tried to sift the grounds first but am going to give that a try now.
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My great grandmother fed used coffee grounds to pigs and sheep. Can’t say if it did them good and the practise stopped when she passed.
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Hi Joan, thanks for stopping by. You might also be interested in a previous post of mine – https://groundtoground.org/2011/05/29/the-history-of-used-coffee-grounds-for-gardening/
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I add mine directly to the soil. Once I get my compost bin set up, they will go in there as well. Plan to use them as a slug deterrent too. Collected grounds from three places yesterday… feels good and smells great!
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Great work there Val. It does feel good to do a good thing. Please let us know how it goes for you and if you need any help let me know.
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