Coffee grounds to deter bugs?

The only Starbucks in town that I know of. But I was getting for my son. I use the Starbucks in Chesapeake. VA and they not only have them in a bag alone (BUT NOT THE SILVER BAG) they even took the bag to the truck for me. Customer Service

Kay

When I mentioned the arthritis in my hands, the employee hauled out 2 plastic double-bagged loads almost 40 pounds and put it in the trunk, sparing me much pain.

cheyannarach wrote:I own a coffee shop and save grounds for my friends and they always mold. If you set them out in the sunshine when it's nice and dry the mold will clear up in no time.

I will keep that in mind to to dry up my future coffee grounds. Also considered putting them on a pan and drying them in the oven but then the entire house might smell like a coffee shop.

May have to add a drive thru window...

I get plastic bags full of coffee grounds (30-40#) I just split the bag and let it sit there airing out for a day then separate the grounds from the coffee filters.

I called in at our local Starbucks and they are not allowed to give away their coffee grounds. It is because they are located in Safeway and it is Safeway's policy here in our town not to allow any recycled foodstuffs, whether veggies, fruits or coffee grounds.

Then I remembered a little independent coffee stand near our city hall, but they already had a regular customer who takes their spent grounds.

It looks as though I am out of luck in obtaining any regular supply.

I am helping out at the Robson Firemen's breakfast next Sunday so I will be albe to save their grounds. It will not be much as they only do about 40 breakfasts, but it will be something as I will be prepared this time. Last time I helped I only realised that I could take them after they had already been placed in the garbage so I only got a few cupfuls. I will also be able to have their orange peels and eggshells.

Firefighters go through a lot of coffee. If there is a large station in your town (housing 10 or more on duty) they might be willing to save theirs for you....maybe give them a special trash can marked "Fire GROUNDS only!" (pun intended). If you agree to take them some sort of food every time you pick up grounds I KNOW they'll be willing. Nothing FF's like more than free food! Baked goods would be the best incentive.

And it would be a great way to develop a relationship with some people who serve your community every day!

claudiamedic wrote:Firefighters go through a lot of coffee. If there is a large station in your town (housing 10 or more on duty) they might be willing to save theirs for you....maybe give them a special trash can marked "Fire GROUNDS only!" (pun intended). If you agree to take them some sort of food every time you pick up grounds I KNOW they'll be willing. Nothing FF's like more than free food! Baked goods would be the best incentive.

And it would be a great way to develop a relationship with some people who serve your community every day!

Thanks for the tip,claudia. I have two firestations within a few minutes drive of me. I will let you know the result.

Thanks for this thread! I'd been saving the coffee grounds at work (we go through about 2 pots a day) but didn't know that Starbucks will give them away. Earlier this week I called ahead and the girl who answered said they had some I could pick up on the way to work. She gave me about 1/4 of a trash bag's worth. Yay!

This morning I called again and a different guy said they didn't have many yet, but they would save them for me to pick up on my way home, and no one else really does it so I may have a monopoly on my local SB's grounds.

I walked to lunch today and stopped in the SB that's on the way back and they gave me another bag of grounds, about 10-15# worth (wet). I didn't have my car keys on me and didn't want to bring them into the office, so I stopped by my car in the parking garage and stuck them under my front tire, out of sight.

At this rate I'll be able to mulch my entire yard with them.

You're lucky that the bomb squad didn't get called out for a suspicious package under your car!

claudiamedic wrote:You're lucky that the bomb squad didn't get called out for a suspicious package under your car!

Haha omg, you're right - although if you look at the bag, it doesn't look like a bomb, it looks like a squishy bag of... well, let's just not go there.

that's cool that you asked and you received. has anyone had the nerve to ask for those green pickle buckets that fast food restaurants use? i would love to get a hold of some of them. still can't get the nerve to ask.

how much coffe grounds is "too much"?

michellentn wrote:that's cool that you asked and you received. has anyone had the nerve to ask for those green pickle buckets that fast food restaurants use? i would love to get a hold of some of them. still can't get the nerve to ask.

Just blurt it out, the worst possible thing that could happen is they say no. I am 95% sure that they will say yes! That is a great idea!

mlayser wrote:how much coffe grounds is "too much"?

I am guessing you are inquiring about the ammount of grounds to put arounds, say a tomato plant.

Have never used them either as this is my first full season as a SFGer so am going to go with a handfull per plant once they start maturing as I just put them in this week.

Hopefully someone who has used thembefore can give us some experienced info; I definately could use some and it is ALWAYS welcome

I'd like to know some more info about how much to use also.

I just mulched one of my potted tomato plants this weekend as an experiment. I used about 1/2" of coffee grounds, maybe a little more. I still have a huge tub of used grounds (3 Starbucks' trips worth) but wanted to see how well they worked and how they behaved before doing any more.

What people say about the dry coffee grounds repelling water is absolutely true. The water will sit on top of the "crust." After a couple of minutes I made a space for the water to drain in.

The tomato plant still seems really happy. We'll see how it goes.

michellentn wrote:that's cool that you asked and you received. has anyone had the nerve to ask for those green pickle buckets that fast food restaurants use? i would love to get a hold of some of them. still can't get the nerve to ask.

Also ask at bakeries. Frosting comes in big white buckets. When my son worked at a bakery. he always had 5 gal white buckets around.

Kay

Hi! Hope everyone's garden's are producing prolifically! I heard that coffee grounds are good for the garden. I have been putting it in my compost pile but can it be put around plants? Also, if you can use coffee grounds can you use left over coffee? This is me after drinking too much coffee. lol

Songstress I worked with a lady who drank her coffee black and no sugar. When her coffee cooled and she didn't want to drink it anymore, she watered her desk plant with it all the time, so yes you can use the coffee as long as you don't have cream or sugar. Although I don't think the sugar would hurt a plant, it would just attract insects.

Coffee grounds are good to sprinkle on top to deter snails/slugs.

Any acid loving plants will love them or the leftover coffee, tomatoes, potatoes, sw and irish, strawberries. And African Violets!

Sugar can be put on garden, but it will lock up the nitrogen to use, this would be good on weeds!

Jo

littlejo wrote:Coffee grounds are good to sprinkle on top to deter snails/slugs.

Any acid loving plants will love them or the leftover coffee, tomatoes, potatoes, sw and irish, strawberries. And African Violets!

Sugar can be put on garden, but it will lock up the nitrogen to use, this would be good on weeds!

Jo

I put some around my tomatoes and they are doing quite well, but my cucumbers are not growing much at all. So are cucumbers a nitrogen loving plant?

Most plants in MM made with good compost don't require a lot of fertilizer, but heavy feeders will appreciate a boost. I've included a link, but acid loving plants are different and may or not be needing a boost. From experience, sw. potatoes love the acidity, but do not do good with added fertilizer. For added acid, coffee and/or grounds, chopped up pine needles, pine cones, or limbs(the green paarts) chopped up or used as mulch.

Heavy Feeders: celery, melons, tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, eggplant, squash

http://123foodgardening.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-heavy-feeders.html



Jo

littlejo wrote:Most plants in MM made with good compost don't require a lot of fertilizer, but heavy feeders will appreciate a boost. I've included a link, but acid loving plants are different and may or not be needing a boost. From experience, sw. potatoes love the acidity, but do not do good with added fertilizer. For added acid, coffee and/or grounds, chopped up pine needles, pine cones, or limbs(the green paarts) chopped up or used as mulch.

Heavy Feeders: celery, melons, tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, eggplant, squash

http://123foodgardening.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-heavy-feeders.html



Jo

+1 Great tip! Thank you.

littlejo wrote:Most plants in MM made with good compost don't require a lot of fertilizer, but heavy feeders will appreciate a boost. I've included a link, but acid loving plants are different and may or not be needing a boost. From experience, sw. potatoes love the acidity, but do not do good with added fertilizer. For added acid, coffee and/or grounds, chopped up pine needles, pine cones, or limbs(the green paarts) chopped up or used as mulch.

Heavy Feeders: celery, melons, tomatoes, corn, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins, eggplant, squash

http://123foodgardening.blogspot.com/2010/06/feeding-heavy-feeders.html


Jo

I checked the link and they are heavy feeders but it doesn't specify coffee grounds for cucumbersbut perhaps I am reading it wrong........

Coffee grounds are useful for repelling such things as slugs, but i would not consider it a good top dressing to feeding plants immediately.There is a longer term benefit in that earth worms LOVE coffee grounds, so where the grounds are, the worms will follow, leaving nice rich cast filled soil. This take at least a year.