Composting With Coffee Grounds

Composting
 With Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds can provide a valuable source of nutrition for your garden if used properly.  The proper amount to be used depends on the condition of the soil and, more specifically, what you are growing in your garden.  Check with your local gardening expert to see what is best for your situation.

Coffee grounds can be appiled directly in the garden along with other materials as a side dressing for vegetables, roses, or other plants. 
Coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, but are also acidic.  Adding brown material such as leaves and dried grass to the mulch will help keep a balanced soil pH.

Coffee grounds act as green material with a carbon-nitrogen (C-N) ratio of 20-1, when mixed in with your compost.  Combined with browns such as leaves and straw, coffee grounds generate heat and will speed up the composting process.

What's in Coffee Grounds?
Primary Nutrients                         Secondary Nutrients
Nitrogen         1.45%                    Calcium           389ug/g
Phosphorus    ND ug/g                 Magnesium    448ug/g
Potassium      1204 ug/g             Sulfur high       ug/g


Notes:  ND= indicates sample is below detection limit
              Ug/g= microgram/gram

Information provided in part by: www.starbucks.com
                  

Sue Ringman · Solid Waste Coordinator
Human Services Building · 1040 S. Winter Street, Suite 3017 · Adrian, MI 49221
Phone: (517)264-4546 · Fax: (517)263-7887
solid.waste@lenawee.mi.us