Survey – How do you use spent coffee grounds?

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…

shanegenziuk

March 13, 2012

1–2 minutes

spent coffee grounds, Survey

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!

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)

20 responses to “Survey – How do you use spent coffee grounds?”

Worms are Caffeine Junkies – Clean Me: Everything and Anything About Good Living

March 17, 2013 at 1:50 pm

[…] Survey – How do you use spent coffee grounds? (groundtoground.org) […]

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Etai

May 28, 2012 at 8:15 pm

I have been on most of your posts and really love the site. Just thought to let you know!

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Sam Healy

April 18, 2012 at 1:40 pm

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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1. jolj
  
  April 18, 2012 at 11:13 pm
  
  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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  1. shanegenziuk
    
    April 19, 2012 at 1:23 am
    
    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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  2. jolj
    
    April 19, 2012 at 2:21 am
    
    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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  3. shanegenziuk
    
    April 21, 2012 at 11:45 pm
    
    Wow great advice thanks mate.
    
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  4. shanegenziuk
    
    April 21, 2012 at 11:48 pm
    
    Yeah it looks and reads indestructible. Will keep an eye out for it at my place.
    
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jolj

April 7, 2012 at 1:43 pm

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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1. shanegenziuk
  
  April 10, 2012 at 11:02 pm
  
  Yeah you bet mate, always wanted to get your famous coffee compost onto the site!
  
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About Quail – Coffee Grounds Dust Bath | Coffee Grounds to Ground

April 6, 2012 at 8:00 pm

[…] Survey – How do you use spent coffee grounds? (groundtoground.org) Coffee Grounds in the garden, Sustainable Living and tagged Dust Bath, exfoliant, Quail, used coffee grounds by shanegenziuk. Bookmark the permalink. […]

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Stinky sewer solution: Old coffee grounds | Innovationedge

April 6, 2012 at 3:52 am

[…] Survey – How do you use spent coffee grounds? (groundtoground.org) […]

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Etai

March 15, 2012 at 6:04 pm

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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1. shanegenziuk
  
  March 21, 2012 at 9:58 pm
  
  Thanks Etai – Would be happier with 1000 responses but will take what I get 😉
  
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Sam Healy

March 14, 2012 at 9:23 am

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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1. shanegenziuk
  
  March 17, 2012 at 12:19 pm
  
  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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Joan S

March 14, 2012 at 4:47 am

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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1. shanegenziuk
  
  March 21, 2012 at 9:16 pm
  
  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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Val

March 13, 2012 at 11:00 pm

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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1. shanegenziuk
  
  March 17, 2012 at 12:17 pm
  
  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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