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Source your coffee grounds. If you can't function without a proper cup of coffee in the mornings, then you may well brew your own. If so then you have a ready supply of coffee grounds to use in the garden. If you're not a coffee drinker, or you don't have a coffee machine, then you'll have to hunt down a local coffee shop that gives its waste grounds away - or maybe there's a coffee machine at work you can empty. Use them fresh. Because they're damp and full of nutrients, coffee grounds quickly start to go moldy. Moldy coffee grounds are still fine to use, but they don't look as nice so you may want to compost them instead of using them as a mulch. Mulch. If you're after a low-maintenance garden, then you can simply toss your waste coffee grounds onto the soil as a mulch. Their dark color absorbs heat from the sun and can help the soil to warm up, and they'll add nutrients to the soil as they break down. Deter pests. Another advantage of using coffee ground directly on the soil is that it can deter pests. Slugs and snails aren't fond of the caffeine or the gritty texture, and might go elsewhere for a munch. If you have a problem with cats using your garden as a litter box, then a coffee mulch can help to disguise the smell and encourage them to 'go' elsewhere. And if you've got access to a regular supply of coffee grounds, then it's worth experimenting to see whether the smell confuses carrot flies, and other pests that find their way to your plants by smell. Make a liquid feed. Put about a pound of coffee grounds into a bucket or watering can with 5 gallons of water, leave it to warm up for a little while, and you've got a nitrogen-rich feed that you can use on hungry plants in your garden. The resulting feed will be slightly acidic - good for use on acid-loving plants (such as camellias, azaleas, gardenias, hydrangeas,rhododendrons, and blueberries). You can use it elsewhere, but keep an eye on your soil pH by testing your soil each season with a soil pH meter or garden chemistry test kit. Add coffee grounds to your compost heap. If you have a compost heap, then you can add coffee grounds - filters and all - to your heap. The carbon to nitrogen ration of coffee grounds is around 20:1, which means that it adds a nitrogen boost to your heap that can kick-start the composting process or compensate for a lot of carbon-rich 'brown' materials (woody plant stems, crumpled paper or cardboard). The C to N ratio of coffee grounds is similar to that of grass clippings, and because it has been ground up, it has a large surface area and breaks down quickly. Give your worms a boost. You can also add coffee grounds to your worm composter - the worms will love munching their way through them. In a worm composter, you'll need to keep a careful eye on the pH levels to keep your worms happy. Balance out the acidic coffee grounds with some lime, or crushed up eggshells.

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Nitrogen Source The major ingredients of a compost pile are nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and moisture. Given the right mix of these components, decomposing organisms rapidly break down organic matter and produce rich humus. Brown materials like leaves and wood chips contain carbon, while green materials like grass trimmings and vegetable scraps contain nitrogen. (See References 4 and 6) Coffee grounds are another source of nitrogen for the compost pile; they have a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 20-to-1, equal to that of grass trimmings (see References 1). Dr. Linda ChalkerScott of Washington State University recommends adding no more than 20 percent by volume of grounds in the compost pile. Reduced Waste According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, organic materials take up space at landfills and produce methane and leachate pollutants. Coffee grounds are a large portion of waste at coffeehouses; Oregon State University Extension Service estimates that coffee shops in Lane County, Oregon produce 500 tons of grounds per year. Compost specialists in the region have made a dent, collecting 53 tons of coffee grounds from these businesses in a year. In a household, coffee grounds from your daily pot seems inconsiderable, but this waste adds up over time. The nitrogen properties of used coffee are a better addition to your compost pile than to the local landfill. (See References 2 and 3) Compost Heat Composting occurs quickly in piles that reach high temperatures. Sustained heat also kills pathogens and weed seeds. In an unpublished study reported by Oregon State University Extension Service, composting specialists found that coffee grounds were more effective than manure at maintaining high core temperatures in the range of 135 to 155 F for two weeks. For backyard composters, coffee grounds provide a convenient and effective nitrogen source without the pathogen concerns of manure handling. (See References 2 and 6) Vermicomposting Besides benefiting outdoor compost piles, coffee grounds are also a preferred food of composting worms. Vermicomposting means composting with worms --- usually red wigglers (Lumbricus rubellus or Eisenia foetida); these worms have large appetites and produce compost quickly. In addition to coffee grounds, they also enjoy a diet of kitchen scraps and paper. Carry out vermicomposting in a bin in your garage or basement and worms will feed on coffee grounds year-round. (See References 1 and 5)

Green or unroasted coffee.

Purine Alkaloids Caffeine Minerals Calcium Bases Betaine Chlorogenic Acids (3-; 4-; 5-) Chlorogenic acid (3,4-; 3,5-; 4,5-) Dicaffeoylquinic acid < Feruloylquinic 5-) 4-; (3-;>

Moisture.................. Fat or oil.......... Ash.......................... ............ Caffein..................... .............. Sugar........................ ................................. ............ Tannin...................... ............. Roasted coffees. Moisture.................. Fat or oil................. Ash.......................... ............ Caffein..................... ..............

11.23 13.27 3.92 1.21 8.55 8.84

percent percent percent percent percent percent

Liverine

Magnesium

Choline

Methylliberine Phosphate ;

Niacin

Paraxanthine Potassium Trigonelline Theacrine Sulphate Theobromine Theophylline Lipids Diterpene esters (mainly cafestol and kahweol palmitate and linoleate) Free dietepenes (mainly cafestol and kahweol) Free fatty acids Hydrocarbons (mainly squalane and nonacosane) 5hydroxytryptamides Phospholipids Tocopherols (alpha, beta, gammaisomers) Triglycerides (mainly esters of linoleic and palmitic acids) Triterpene, sterols and methylsterol esters Acetic Arabinose Aliphatic Carbohydrates Acids

1.15 14.48 4.75 1.24 0.66

percent percent percent percent percent

Sugar........................

C3-C10 Citric Formic

Fructose Galactose Glucose

The Ash Of Coffee Coffeehas a high content of mineral substances, and as these are largely soluble they give to the extracted coffee an additional value. Spencer found as the average of the composition of ash of four representative coffees, consisting of Mocha, Maracaibo, Java and Rio, the following data: Sand..................................... Silica..................................... Ferric Oxid............................... Lime..................................... Magnesia........................... Potash Soda..................................... Phosphoric acid........................... Sulphuric acid............................. 1 .06 percent 0.84 percent 1.18 percent 5.51 percent 10.98 percent 61.84 percent 0.36 percent 12.94 percent 4.63 percent

Fumaric Lactic Malic

Inositol Mannitol Mannose

Oxalic ; Quinic and quinides

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Xylose