Tons of coffee grounds

[clintonParticipant]

Hello from Montana ,USA. I have access to literally thousands of pounds of coffee grounds. As luck would have it I am also in the process of filling up new garden beds I made in the fall. Question is, how much is to much? Could I fill beds with these grounds then leave the top 4-6 inches to be filled with compost? Also I plan on starting my first official no dig garden on another spot on my property. I could literally spread inches of these grounds on top of my grass in an effort to mend the dense clay soil I have. Would this even work? I hear a lot about the qualities of spent coffee grounds, but when does it become to much? Perhaps a few inches of grounds then a few inches of compost? Any knowledge is greatly appreciated. I really enjoy the philosophy, and look forward to putting it into practice this year. Thanks Clint

[DiParticipant]

Hello Clint

I find that coffee grounds are best used as a green component of making compost, especially useful at this time of the year when green waste from the garden is scarce. I have found that adding it directly to the garden is fine but if more than 2inches thick it can be hydrophobic so i gently run the how across the surface to mix it in just slightly.

Personally i wouldn’t use it a primary base for making new beds not becasue of anything to do with anything other than it’s not the ideal growing medium for vegetables. Stick to homemade compost and reserve the coffee for layering in the compost bin or top dressing garden beds.

[Author]

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