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Main
Date: 25 Jun 2007 10:25:33
From: shane
Subject: old French Press grounds
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What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
people run through garbage disposals?
Shane
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 13:27:00
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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On Jul 4, 12:09 pm, Steve Ackman <s...@SNIP-THIS.twoloonscoffee.com >
wrote:
> In <1183410121.439780.164...@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, on Mon, 02
> Jul 2007 14:02:01 -0700, shane, shane.ol...@juno.com wrote:
>
> > On Jun 29, 5:29 pm, Flasherly <gjerr...@ij.net> wrote:
>
> >> Enough said for me. Grinds are going to go outside to the orange tree
>
> > -
> > Orange tree? <sigh> I wish I could grow an orange tree....
>
> Well... it's not really any more difficult to grow
> an orange tree inside than a coffee tree. Come to
> think of it, the orange tree was easier. ;-)
There's a municipal main between adjoining plots and backyards,
lateral sewer lines feed. A couple feet back, into my lot, a 3' wide
sinkhole formed, funneling down around the same depth. Appeared one
day after a strong rain. I was putting all kinds of good stuff in it,
compost, humus, to fill it, but it always came back. Saw an orange
tree on sale one day, grafted to punk lemon root stock, and popped it
in. Case of the mysteriously reappearing sinkhole solved. Within the
first year, from a pencil thin 3' tall potted stock, hardly with 3
branches with half a dozen leaves between them, it sprouted up taller
than me. Flowered, too, into half a dozen oranges. In three years,
it's almost up to the the telephone lines, maybe 12 foot. Usually
takes three years before people see their first oranges. They're
commonplace down here and many people with orange trees don't harvest
the oranges because they find them too acidic. Not I - fresh
squeezed, first pickings, I can drink down a bushel. It's getting big
for a 4-year-older, but yet have to see a bumper crop. Maybe a couple
dozen its second year, the year of all those hurricanes. Not quite as
many the year after. Not so many buds early this year, either. Could
be "flash" nitrogen I'm using for fertilizer - Miracle Grow
lookalike. Will see what adding coffee grinds now do.
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Date: 02 Jul 2007 14:02:01
From: shane
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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On Jun 29, 5:29 pm, Flasherly <gjerr...@ij.net > wrote:
>
> Enough said for me. Grinds are going to go outside to the orange tree
-
Orange tree? <sigh > I wish I could grow an orange tree....
Shane
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Date: 04 Jul 2007 12:09:34
From: Steve Ackman
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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In <1183410121.439780.164360@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com >, on Mon, 02
Jul 2007 14:02:01 -0700, shane, shane.olson@juno.com wrote:
> On Jun 29, 5:29 pm, Flasherly <gjerr...@ij.net> wrote:
>>
>> Enough said for me. Grinds are going to go outside to the orange tree
>
> -
> Orange tree? <sigh> I wish I could grow an orange tree....
Well... it's not really any more difficult to grow
an orange tree inside than a coffee tree. Come to
think of it, the orange tree was easier. ;-)
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Date: 02 Jul 2007 11:51:00
From: DavidMLewis
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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On Jun 25, 10:25 am, shane <shane.ol...@juno.com > wrote:
> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press.
They do very well as part of a worm composting system. The worms love
them. You just have to add a bit of dolomite lime, which the worms
like anyway, and enough bedding so the whole thing stays aerobic.
Best,
David
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Date: 29 Jun 2007 15:29:02
From: Flasherly
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
On Jun 29, 1:28 pm, superjohnny <johnny.burr...@gmail.com > wrote:
> On Jun 27, 4:26 am, Mike Hartigan <m...@hartigan.dot.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > In article <1182885898.234489.172...@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com>,
> > johnny.burr...@gmail.com says...
> > I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...) years
> > ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more down
> > the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said it
> > keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only sink
> > in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home for
> > over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that the
> > drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
> > they're not hurt by them either. While what you describe is
> > certainly plausible in theory, it appears that it may be irrelevant
> > in practice.
>
> > That said, I now use it to break up the soil in the flower beds. I
> > don't know about the nutritional value, simply that it serves the
> > intended purpose.
>
> > --
> > -Mike
>
> When our sewer line backed up and sewage started coming up the drain
> pipe in our basement we evacuated the house and called a plumber. He
> said the coffee grinds & "other things" that went down the toilet
> caused the backup. As roqueja suggested it could be because of old
> plumbing. Our house was built in '28 so that definitely could be it.
> Plumbing in newer homes might be better suited to handle coffee
> grinds. He said that over time the dirt drain lines are set on
> settles and develops high and low spots. The coffee settled in one of
> the low spots. This may not be as big a problem with newer homes. I
> also doubt the acid given off by the grounds would sit long enough to
> eat through the galvanized steel pipes or PVC, but then I'm no expert
> in that department.
Enough said for me. Grinds are going to go outside to the orange tree
or for feeding the weeds in my lawn. I'd been using paper to flip the
PF and put that in the trash, but there's usually some small amount of
grind residuals left that get washed down the sink. I'm going to start
using that paper to wipe out the the hot PF clean after extracting.
I've a slop sink in the garage, covers a washing machine, etc, with
that connecting a wall and almost next to the kitchen sink. The
toilet's across the house from there, where there'd have to be a clean
out trap. Driveway and adjoining walkway put slabs next to the two
aforementioned sinks, so there's probably just one clean out. That
and a vent running up between the wall, likely at the toilet. If I
want to snake the house, I've got to go in through the sinks or dig up
outside next to the shower tub. I'm a believer in bleach. Good thing
to periodically let set up a few hours in the pipes. Buy a gallon a
distribute half the bottle across the various effluent receptacles a
few times a year.
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Date: 29 Jun 2007 17:28:24
From: superjohnny
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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On Jun 27, 4:26 am, Mike Hartigan <m...@hartigan.dot.com > wrote:
> In article <1182885898.234489.172...@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com>,
> johnny.burr...@gmail.com says...
> I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...) years
> ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more down
> the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said it
> keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only sink
> in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home for
> over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that the
> drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
> they're not hurt by them either. While what you describe is
> certainly plausible in theory, it appears that it may be irrelevant
> in practice.
>
> That said, I now use it to break up the soil in the flower beds. I
> don't know about the nutritional value, simply that it serves the
> intended purpose.
>
> --
> -Mike
When our sewer line backed up and sewage started coming up the drain
pipe in our basement we evacuated the house and called a plumber. He
said the coffee grinds & "other things" that went down the toilet
caused the backup. As roqueja suggested it could be because of old
plumbing. Our house was built in '28 so that definitely could be it.
Plumbing in newer homes might be better suited to handle coffee
grinds. He said that over time the dirt drain lines are set on
settles and develops high and low spots. The coffee settled in one of
the low spots. This may not be as big a problem with newer homes. I
also doubt the acid given off by the grounds would sit long enough to
eat through the galvanized steel pipes or PVC, but then I'm no expert
in that department.
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 16:49:18
From: Barutan Seijin
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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Am 27 Jun 2007, shane schrieb:
> > I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...)
> > years ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more
> > down the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said
> > it keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only
> > sink in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home
> > for over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that
> > the drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
> > they're not hurt by them either.
>
>
> Now that I think about it, my mother has told me that my grandfather
> used to say "a few coffee grounds are good for the drain". Perhaps
> they have just enough acid or texture or something that would help the
> grease and other stuff that goes down drains to break up enough to
> keep everything moving along. One of those old timer practices,
> probaly had a reason for doing it back in the day.
It's the acid. It might not be good for your pipes, though.
--
barutanseijin@gmail.com
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 23:59:48
From: *alan*
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
"Barutan Seijin" <barutanseijin@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:m2lke5wdsm.fsf@oedipa.disorg...
> Am 27 Jun 2007, shane schrieb:
>
>
>> > I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...)
>> > years ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more
>> > down the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said
>> > it keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only
>> > sink in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home
>> > for over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that
>> > the drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
>> > they're not hurt by them either.
>>
>>
>> Now that I think about it, my mother has told me that my grandfather
>> used to say "a few coffee grounds are good for the drain". Perhaps
>> they have just enough acid or texture or something that would help the
>> grease and other stuff that goes down drains to break up enough to
>> keep everything moving along. One of those old timer practices,
>> probaly had a reason for doing it back in the day.
>
> It's the acid. It might not be good for your pipes, though.
I doubt there'd be enough acid left in spent coffee grounds being flushed
through a pipe to have any consequence, either beneficial or detrimental.
I'd hazard a guess that it's the abrasive action of the grounds passing thru
the pipe that may be of some benefit.
--
Alan
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 21:58:35
From: DougW
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
*alan* wrote:
> I'd hazard a guess that it's the abrasive action of the grounds
> passing thru the pipe that may be of some benefit.
That explains what happens when I drink the last cup out of
my French Press.
--
DougW
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Date: 28 Jun 2007 18:19:59
From: Mike Hartigan
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
In article <rtFgi.146856$vE1.98261@newsfe24.lga >,
post.replies@invalid.address says...
> *alan* wrote:
>
> > I'd hazard a guess that it's the abrasive action of the grounds
> > passing thru the pipe that may be of some benefit.
>
> That explains what happens when I drink the last cup out of
> my French Press.
>
eeewwwwwwww!
--
-Mike
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 06:38:29
From: shane
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
> I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...) years
> ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more down
> the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said it
> keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only sink
> in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home for
> over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that the
> drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
> they're not hurt by them either. While what you describe is
Now that I think about it, my mother has told me that my grandfather
used to say "a few coffee grounds are good for the drain". Perhaps
they have just enough acid or texture or something that would help the
grease and other stuff that goes down drains to break up enough to
keep everything moving along. One of those old timer practices,
probaly had a reason for doing it back in the day.
Shane
|
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Date: 26 Jun 2007 19:24:58
From: superjohnny
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
On Jun 25, 10:25 am, shane <shane.ol...@juno.com > wrote:
> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
> been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
> was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
> I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
> can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
> people run through garbage disposals?
>
> Shane
We used to wash them down the drain as well, but eventually it clogged
our drain line and we had to call a plumber to have it cleared.
Generally, you shouldn't put anything down your sink that doesn't
float. If it sinks it will pile up in the lowest part of your
plumbing and build up.
Compost piles love coffee grounds. That and the garden are the best
place for them.
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Date: 28 Jun 2007 13:30:44
From:
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:24:58 -0000, superjohnny
<johnny.burrell@gmail.com > wrote:
>On Jun 25, 10:25 am, shane <shane.ol...@juno.com> wrote:
>> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
>> been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
>> was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
>> I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
>> can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
>> people run through garbage disposals?
>>
>> Shane
>
>We used to wash them down the drain as well, but eventually it clogged
>our drain line and we had to call a plumber to have it cleared.
>Generally, you shouldn't put anything down your sink that doesn't
>float. If it sinks it will pile up in the lowest part of your
>plumbing and build up.
>
>Compost piles love coffee grounds. That and the garden are the best
>place for them.
We used to have regular drain blockages. Whenever I pulled the
cleanout plug, dense muddy coffee guck came out in clumps. So, I
stopped putting coffee down the drain. We have not had a drain
blockage in the several years since I began composting spent coffee.
One data point. Old building with old pipes. So, YMMV.
The big problem is getting rid of the stuff if you don't have the
ability to compost. Not everyone has a garden, I've noticed.
_______________________________________
Please Note: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate.
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 06:26:52
From: Mike Hartigan
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
In article <1182885898.234489.172810@d30g2000prg.googlegroups.com >,
johnny.burrell@gmail.com says...
> On Jun 25, 10:25 am, shane <shane.ol...@juno.com> wrote:
> > What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
> > been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
> > was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
> > I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
> > can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
> > people run through garbage disposals?
> >
> > Shane
>
> We used to wash them down the drain as well, but eventually it clogged
> our drain line and we had to call a plumber to have it cleared.
> Generally, you shouldn't put anything down your sink that doesn't
> float. If it sinks it will pile up in the lowest part of your
> plumbing and build up.
>
> Compost piles love coffee grounds. That and the garden are the best
> place for them.
I spent about eight years in a restaurant many, many, (many...) years
ago, we routinely dumped about 30 lbs of grounds a day or more down
the drain (we used cloth filters back then). The manager said it
keeps the drain 'sweet'. During those years, that was the only sink
in the place that never ran slow. I've been doing that at home for
over 30 years and have never had a problem. I'm not saying that the
drains benefit from the grounds, but my experience suggests that
they're not hurt by them either. While what you describe is
certainly plausible in theory, it appears that it may be irrelevant
in practice.
That said, I now use it to break up the soil in the flower beds. I
don't know about the nutritional value, simply that it serves the
intended purpose.
--
-Mike
|
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Date: 26 Jun 2007 06:08:12
From: shane
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
On Jun 26, 2:55 am, "Bertie Doe" <montebrasi...@ntl.com > wrote:
> "Rob Singers" wrote in message
> > Coffee grounds compost well. If you have plants that are susceptible to
> > being eaten by slugs and snails, layer the coffee grounds around the
> > plants.
> > rob singers
>
> Hmmm wish I'd known that earlier, I've lost about 12 dwarf bean and climbing
> bean plants to slugs and snails. Problem is, the nearest Starbs is in
> Plymouth, about 30 miles to the east.
>
> BD
You mean you don't consume enough coffee at home to mulch your entire
garden?
Shane
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Date: 26 Jun 2007 22:20:51
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
"shane" wrote in message >>
>> Hmmm wish I'd known that earlier, I've lost about 12 dwarf bean and
>> climbing
>> bean plants to slugs and snails. Problem is, the nearest Starbs is in
>> Plymouth, about 30 miles to the east.
>>
>> BD
>
> You mean you don't consume enough coffee at home to mulch your entire
> garden?
>
> Shane
Nowhere near enough, just 3 or 4 doubles per day. The surviving beans, 50
dwarf and 40 climbing, are tall enough to survive further attacks. Next
winter I'll stockpile the pucks, rather than dump them on the compost heap.
We go to Plymouth about every 2 months, so I could ring Starbies beforehand
and reserve a sackfull of old grounds.
Bertie
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 03:37:44
From: Rob Singers
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
Between saving the world and having a spot of tea Bertie Doe said
> Nowhere near enough, just 3 or 4 doubles per day. The surviving beans,
> 50 dwarf and 40 climbing, are tall enough to survive further attacks.
> Next winter I'll stockpile the pucks, rather than dump them on the
> compost heap. We go to Plymouth about every 2 months, so I could ring
> Starbies beforehand and reserve a sackfull of old grounds.
It would be interesting to know how well it works. The theory is that
grounds stick to them and irritate them. I have a bigger problem with
White Butterfly catapillers so it's been hard to gauge the success against
snails. If you were spreading it on by the sackload, it'd make a fairly
effective mulch. You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the soil as
the grounds started to break down.
--
rob singers
pull finger to reply
Foemina Erit Ruina Tua
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 01:27:56
From: Steve Ackman
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
In <Xns995C8AAD6D343rsingers@IP-Hidden >, on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 03:37:44
+0200 (CEST), Rob Singers, rsingers@finger.hotmail.com wrote:
> The theory is that
> grounds stick to them and irritate them. I have a bigger problem with
> White Butterfly catapillers so it's been hard to gauge the success against
> snails.
I used to use crushed eggshells to discourage snails
and slugs. They don't like the sharp edges.
> If you were spreading it on by the sackload, it'd make a fairly
> effective mulch. You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the soil as
> the grounds started to break down.
Coffee grounds are a *source* of nitrogen.
In FL I used to bring home about 70 lbs (wet) of
coffee grounds each week when I worked night shift.
Dumped about half directly into the beds, the other
half into the compost pile. I had a chipper/shredder
then, so used wood chips for mulch.
About 5 years ago when our back yard was "woods," I
just dumped all our grounds right out the back door...
every day throughout the year. Come spring time, the
dumping ground had much denser and greener growth. If
coffee grounds were an effective mulch, the opposite
would have been true.
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Date: 28 Jun 2007 11:10:25
From: Rob Singers
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
Between saving the world and having a spot of tea Steve Ackman said
>> If you were spreading it on by the sackload, it'd make a fairly
>> effective mulch. You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the
>> soil as the grounds started to break down.
>
> Coffee grounds are a *source* of nitrogen.
Sure, but nitrogen is needed during the decomposition process before it
is eventually released back into the soil. That's why you add already
composted material to the soil, but have to be careful how you mulch,
especially green mulchs.
You'll have to forgive me tho' it's a long time since I was doing a Hort
degree so I've forgotten the specifics.
--
rob singers
pull finger to reply
Foemina Erit Ruina Tua
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 23:55:21
From: *alan*
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
"Steve Ackman" wrote
Rob Singers wrote:
[...]
>
>> If you were spreading it on by the sackload, it'd make a fairly
>> effective mulch. You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the soil
>> as
>> the grounds started to break down.
>
> Coffee grounds are a *source* of nitrogen.
Which is it then, I wonder? Is there anyone here who can offer a
well-reasoned chemical/horticultural explanation of the nitrogen exchange
relationship between soil and coffee grounds (if there is indeed any
nitrogen exchange at all?)
--
Alan
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Date: 27 Jun 2007 23:10:24
From: Steve Ackman
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
In <JNCgi.42492$5j1.18112@newssvr21.news.prodigy.net >, on Wed, 27 Jun
2007 23:55:21 GMT, *alan*, in_flagrante@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> "Steve Ackman" wrote
>
> Rob Singers wrote:
> [...]
>>
>>> You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the soil
>>> as the grounds started to break down.
>
>> Coffee grounds are a *source* of nitrogen.
>
> Which is it then, I wonder? Is there anyone here who can offer a
> well-reasoned chemical/horticultural explanation of the nitrogen exchange
> relationship between soil and coffee grounds (if there is indeed any
> nitrogen exchange at all?)
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen. As they break down,
that nitrogen, and all the other ingredients, become
available to the plants (subject to losses through
leaching, etc).
from "The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening,"
-------------
COFFEE WASTES
-------------
Coffee grounds can be fine additions to the
fertilizer resources of the average family. They
sour easily because they preserve moisture well
and seem to encourage acetic-acid-forming
bacteria.[1] Being acid, they are good for blue-
berries, evergreens and all acid-loving plants.[2]
Mixed with lime, they can be fed to earthworm
cultures or used as a mulch for plants that
prefer a more basic environment. Chemical
analyses show that coffee grounds contain up to
2 percent nitrogen, .0033 percent phosphoric
acid and varying amounts of potash, minerals,
trace elements, carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins
and caffeine. Drip coffee grounds are generally
richer than grounds that have been boiled.
Coffee chaff, a waste product from coffee
manufacturing, is an excellent material for use
in home gardens as well as farms as it contains
over 2 percent of both nitrogen and potash.
Its darker color adds to its value as a mulch
material.[3]
[1] This is indeed my experience when grounds are
stored wet for more than a couple of days. Not only
do they start to get a sour odor, but they also tend
to be a great medium for mold. I like to get them into
the soil or compost pile as soon as practical... or
dry them.
[2] IME, they are not terribly acid, and work to good
effect even when added to alkaline loving plants such
as corn. Then again, in the NE, I generally add
woodstove ash to the soil which tends to buffer the
overall mix. I've actually used spent coffee grounds
all by themselves as a medium for starting tomato seeds,
but due to the problems mentioned in [1], I find it
better to use them in layers, alternating with potting
soil.
[3] Coffee chaff tends to mat up when applied in any
thickness to the soil surface... even to the point of
shedding water. IME, if you're using raised beds or
furrows, it's better to work chaff into the top inch
or so of the soil... unless you're gardening in desert
style catchments where the water has time to penetrate...
and where the conditions aren't as favorable to
matting anyway.
[4] I've had gardens in ME, FL, NM, AZ and NH. Each
climate has different requirements, and in addition
to tips about gardening in general there are very
often caveats specific to localized gardening styles,
rain amounts, soil chemistry, etc.
--------
NITROGEN
--------
...
The intake and release of nitrogen in soils
is achieved through a series of complicated
biochemical transformations called the nitro-
gen cycle. Basically, nitrogen is added to the
soil in the form of crop residues, green ma-
nures, ammonium and nitrate salts in rains,
farm manures, or commercial fertilizers. This
nitrogen undergoes many changes, especially
when associated with organic matter. Proteins
in organic matter are decomposed, and finally
the nitrogen is changed into a nitrate form that
higher plants or soil microorganisms can use.
In this form, it can also be lost in volatization
or in drainage.
Nitrogen from organic matter is released
slowly in a process called mineralization. In
this way, a large amount of nitrogen is pro-
tected from loss but after being released
through a natural decaying process, remains
unavailable to higher plants. The entire process
results in the release of ammonia, a form of
nitrogen that is readily used by soil fungi and
plants. In addition, certain bacteria, such as
azotobacter, can use this form of nitrogen to
produce nitrate nitrogen as an end product.
...
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Date: 28 Jun 2007 16:41:04
From: *alan*
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
"Steve Ackman" <steve@SNIP-THIS.twoloonscoffee.com > wrote in message
news:slrnf869l8.80p.steve@sorceror.wizard.dyndns.org...
> In <JNCgi.42492$5j1.18112@newssvr21.news.prodigy.net>, on Wed, 27 Jun
> 2007 23:55:21 GMT, *alan*, in_flagrante@hotmail.com wrote:
>>
>> "Steve Ackman" wrote
>>
>> Rob Singers wrote:
>> [...]
>>>
>>>> You'd just have to watch the nitrogen loss to the soil
>>>> as the grounds started to break down.
>>
>>> Coffee grounds are a *source* of nitrogen.
>>
>> Which is it then, I wonder? Is there anyone here who can offer a
>> well-reasoned chemical/horticultural explanation of the nitrogen exchange
>> relationship between soil and coffee grounds (if there is indeed any
>> nitrogen exchange at all?)
>
> Coffee grounds contain nitrogen. As they break down,
> that nitrogen, and all the other ingredients, become
> available to the plants (subject to losses through
> leaching, etc).
>
> from "The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening,"
> -------------
> COFFEE WASTES
> -------------
> Coffee grounds can be fine additions to the
> fertilizer resources of the average family. They
> sour easily because they preserve moisture well
> and seem to encourage acetic-acid-forming
> bacteria.[1] Being acid, they are good for blue-
> berries, evergreens and all acid-loving plants.[2]
> Mixed with lime, they can be fed to earthworm
> cultures or used as a mulch for plants that
> prefer a more basic environment. Chemical
> analyses show that coffee grounds contain up to
> 2 percent nitrogen, .0033 percent phosphoric
> acid and varying amounts of potash, minerals,
> trace elements, carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins
> and caffeine. Drip coffee grounds are generally
> richer than grounds that have been boiled.
>
> Coffee chaff, a waste product from coffee
> manufacturing, is an excellent material for use
> in home gardens as well as farms as it contains
> over 2 percent of both nitrogen and potash.
> Its darker color adds to its value as a mulch
> material.[3]
>
> [1] This is indeed my experience when grounds are
> stored wet for more than a couple of days. Not only
> do they start to get a sour odor, but they also tend
> to be a great medium for mold. I like to get them into
> the soil or compost pile as soon as practical... or
> dry them.
> [2] IME, they are not terribly acid, and work to good
> effect even when added to alkaline loving plants such
> as corn. Then again, in the NE, I generally add
> woodstove ash to the soil which tends to buffer the
> overall mix. I've actually used spent coffee grounds
> all by themselves as a medium for starting tomato seeds,
> but due to the problems mentioned in [1], I find it
> better to use them in layers, alternating with potting
> soil.
> [3] Coffee chaff tends to mat up when applied in any
> thickness to the soil surface... even to the point of
> shedding water. IME, if you're using raised beds or
> furrows, it's better to work chaff into the top inch
> or so of the soil... unless you're gardening in desert
> style catchments where the water has time to penetrate...
> and where the conditions aren't as favorable to
> matting anyway.
> [4] I've had gardens in ME, FL, NM, AZ and NH. Each
> climate has different requirements, and in addition
> to tips about gardening in general there are very
> often caveats specific to localized gardening styles,
> rain amounts, soil chemistry, etc.
>
> --------
> NITROGEN
> --------
> ...
> The intake and release of nitrogen in soils
> is achieved through a series of complicated
> biochemical transformations called the nitro-
> gen cycle. Basically, nitrogen is added to the
> soil in the form of crop residues, green ma-
> nures, ammonium and nitrate salts in rains,
> farm manures, or commercial fertilizers. This
> nitrogen undergoes many changes, especially
> when associated with organic matter. Proteins
> in organic matter are decomposed, and finally
> the nitrogen is changed into a nitrate form that
> higher plants or soil microorganisms can use.
> In this form, it can also be lost in volatization
> or in drainage.
>
> Nitrogen from organic matter is released
> slowly in a process called mineralization. In
> this way, a large amount of nitrogen is pro-
> tected from loss but after being released
> through a natural decaying process, remains
> unavailable to higher plants. The entire process
> results in the release of ammonia, a form of
> nitrogen that is readily used by soil fungi and
> plants. In addition, certain bacteria, such as
> azotobacter, can use this form of nitrogen to
> produce nitrate nitrogen as an end product.
> ...
Thanks, Steve
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Date: 26 Jun 2007 05:02:53
From: Rob Singers
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
Between saving the world and having a spot of tea shane said
> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
> been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
> was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
> I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
> can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
> people run through garbage disposals?
Coffee grounds compost well. If you have plants that are susceptible to
being eaten by slugs and snails, layer the coffee grounds around the
plants.
--
rob singers
pull finger to reply
Foemina Erit Ruina Tua
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Date: 26 Jun 2007 08:55:29
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
"Rob Singers" wrote in message
> Coffee grounds compost well. If you have plants that are susceptible to
> being eaten by slugs and snails, layer the coffee grounds around the
> plants.
> rob singers
Hmmm wish I'd known that earlier, I've lost about 12 dwarf bean and climbing
bean plants to slugs and snails. Problem is, the nearest Starbs is in
Plymouth, about 30 miles to the east.
BD
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Date: 25 Jun 2007 23:58:58
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
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"shane" <shane.olson@juno.com > wrote in message
news:1182792333.995153.256040@u2g2000hsc.googlegroups.com...
> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
> been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
> was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
> I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
> can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the stuff
> people run through garbage disposals?
>
> Shane
>
Yep, composting the ground adds nitrogen to the soil, here's a couple of
handy links http://tinyurl.com/df4a7
http://tinyurl.com/yovyju
Bertie
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Date: 25 Jun 2007 19:54:48
From: DougW
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
Bertie Doe wrote:
> "shane" wrote ...
>> What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press. I have
>> been in the habit of washing them down the sink drain. However, I
>> was just thinking that perhaps, that is not the best disposal method.
>> I wonder if I should be composting them or something. Coffee grounds
>> can be a bit messy. Are a few coffee grounds any worse than the
>> stuff people run through garbage disposals?
> Yep, composting the ground adds nitrogen to the soil, here's a couple
> of handy links http://tinyurl.com/df4a7
> http://tinyurl.com/yovyju
or just dump them on any evergreen.
While I don't care for *$ they do run a "grounds for your garden"
program where you can pick up sacks of grounds for free.
(still wet in the bag so don't store them for very long) heh. :/
I dump it all out on tarps, let it dry, then spred it with my
rotory spreader. Once dry it keeps for quite a while.
--
DougW
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Date: 25 Jun 2007 14:54:08
From: pltrgyst
Subject: Re: old French Press grounds
|
On Mon, 25 Jun 2007 10:25:33 -0700, shane <shane.olson@juno.com > wrote:
>What do people do with the grounds from thier French Press....
Real men eat 'em.
-- Larry
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