Frugal Friday- Free Coffee Ground
I'd like to claim that this was my idea but my partner has somehow managed to get a 10 gallon bucket of used ground coffee everyday from now on. The local cafe near where he works was happy to have a one-in-one-out bucket type of system.
I have been researching all the garden plants that will love this and it seems the acid loving varieties will be particularity happy! (azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries etc.) don't spread directly around plants ! But it also seems that it needs to be no more than 20% of the total volume of your compost.
here is a great article on the subject : Coffee Grounds in the Garden
Along with the used coffee grindings I usually get a large stack of used flattened cardboard boxes from my work ever few weeks to use as a base layer for our new garden beds( sticky tape removed!)My best tip is to leave it out in the rain for a few days to soften the cardboard and then remove the tape and labels. We then layer small branches on the cardboard as well as leaf mulch, grass clippings, compost.
We also collect seaweed from the beach which a wheel barrow walk away from us! This is legal where we live and I would suggest you check your areas regulations before you go ahead and start collecting. We do not wash the seaweed or anything just use it as a thin layer in your garden beds as you build them up.
I will try and do some more research on the coffee grindings front!
I occasionally get coffee grounds from a local cafe too. I put them in compost and through worm farm too. Seems to work well. Meg
ReplyDeletemakes me wonder if I should approach them about food scraps ! ever tried that?
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I started composting this past spring in a bucket just from items we use - eggshells/ tea grounds/fruit peels etc; only drink an occasional coffee.
ReplyDeleteEarly summer, I threw a few potatoes in and was surprised a few days ago to find that they had sprouted and new potatoes had actually grown.
Weather will soon be getting cold/freezing and I need to figure out how to keep the compost going.
you might be able to use something to insulate your compost? what have you got it in at the moment? I must admit we get pretty mild winters here so it's not something I have really looked into!
DeleteJust a bucket of very wet soil. It has been raining here just about every day. Thankfully all the scraps that i threw in have broken down. We have lots of leaves falling so perhaps fill the bucket up with them.
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