Most everything you need to know about Used Coffee Grounds

Coydon Wallham wrote:Early in the thread someone asked about the two types of grounds, organic and conventional. I'm curious about another vector, hot brewed and cold brewed. Not a chemistry major here, but I recall hearing the hot water extracts more tanins (and perhaps phenols?). Do the grounds produced by these two methods vary in how they work for composting or top dressing?

Cold brewing leaves more tannic acid as well as other compounds that are removed in hot brewing. Spent coffee grounds from either brewing method can be used for; soil additions, composting, worm bedding, etc.
Redhawk

What is SCG???

Wow thanks for all the info! I have lots of coffee grounds. I throw them on my compost pile or just outside around plants, but I’m not very intentional with how I use them. My doctor told me they worked to keep slugs away from her lettuce plants.

In the cold months, I will collect my coffee grounds and periodically add them to my compost pile.

HOWEVER, in the warm months I find that they grow mold quickly when put in a container before they even hit my compost pile. Due to my compost piles location, I have now found an even easier way of dealing with spent grounds...

I toss them on my lawn.

I have one of those permanent filters so after I brew my coffee and it has cooled, I go out on my back steps and toss the grounds. At first I was worried about having piles of grounds everywhere but they incorporate into the soil quickly. They seem to be helping patchier spots in the soil such as areas where dog pee has killed off grass.

I make coffee for two people in the morning so my coffee ground creation isn't huge to where it is overwhelming the lawn. In the winter when the grass isn't growing, the grounds are going in the compost. If I ever managed to obtain a large amount, that too would go in the compost.

I put my coffee ground under the cedar trees because the grounds are a similar color to the cedar leaves buildup.