# Uses for coffee grounds



## paul whu (Sep 25, 2014)

I was just in Rave shop and somebody popped in to pi k up the spent coffee grounds for his garden. What followed was a conversation about the benefits coffee brings to soil in terms of enrichment etc. Then it was said that it was also an effective slug repellant. Can anyone on here confirm this?? For my small veggie plot this could be splendid news.

At present I just sling my grounds into the compost. I wonder whether I would be better off just throwing them directly onto the earth. I could also strategically make piles around the young plants.

I am fairly new to this business of vegetable growing but had some nice stuff last year and will shortly be planting again.

Any advice/opinion very welcome!


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

It's done cock all to the slug population of my garden .. Disappears into the ground though and nothing is dying so it works as a fertiliser .... Or at least the effects are not negative


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## ronsil (Mar 8, 2012)

All my coffee grounds & I have a lot,go on the garden seems to keep the slugs & snails at bay I use 1 dose of Nemaslug in April and that is that for the season


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

time to order nemaslug then


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

I hope the fishes like coffee as i stick mine down the plug hole into the marina!


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

I put it on the garden too - primarily to avoid slugs (not convinced it works) and to stop one of my cats digging up my plants and fouling them (doesn't work)


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## Siamblue (Jan 27, 2016)

Don't let the dogs near it, I accidently split some coffee on my dogs back and he licked it and he went schizo in the space of a few seconds almost like hyper because of the caffeine.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

froggystyle said:


> I hope the fishes like coffee as i stick mine down the plug hole into the marina!


cold brew


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Ive read about the benefits of coffee soap, didnt need much convincing.

Obviously the shape of the mould is down to the individual, but I do like the original puck shape









http://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/How-Make-Coffee-Ground-Soap-30647666


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## shuikit (Oct 7, 2014)

My wife takes ours and either puts them in the flower beds or in the compost. She seems to think it keeps slugs away, I have no idea, I only use the garden as a means to get to the front door...


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

I ran a small project about 10 years ago looking at using spent coffee grounds as a slug repellent. It was financed by a large coffee chain.

End result - if you replaced about 50% of your soil with coffee then there was a repellent effect on 2 out of the 5 species of slug tested. The Derocerus species in particular didn't seem to care less about the presence of the coffee grounds. If you do decide to replace your soil with a 1:1 mix with coffee then you can probably expect to see some phytotoxic effects on your plants.

Nematode based products like Nemaslug can be very effective when used correctly. Just remember that you are applying a living organism (juvenile infective nematodes) and you need to be sympathetic as to their chances for survival. Make sure you agitate the watering can to make sure that they don't all settle out to the bottom, and don't apply onto hot soil/plants in the midday sun. They will dry out and die pretty quickly.

The coffee slug project wasn't a totally disaster. I took some of the fee I was paid and bought a Gaggia Classic with it and that was my first foray into proper coffee.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

1:1 ratio ??? ... Hmmm,

so so let's say I have 20 tonne of soil, I need 10,000kg of chatswood blend ... Or 555555 double espressos .. And a new set of burrs ... Just to get rid of a few slugs

assuming that is I "replace" 50% of my soil


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## MeetPierre (Feb 3, 2016)

We use our left over French press grounds in the agrden as well. I have always used them as a fertilizer, but Never heard the slug thing before.


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## jodevizes (Feb 3, 2016)

If you have azalias it is good to improve the acid levels in the soil.


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## Flinty (Jan 30, 2016)

I've read they can deter cats as well. At least that's what I'm telling the other half, not sure if I'm forgiven for buying my machine yet.


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Mine make the bin smell nice, have to do something as the bagged up cat-poo goes in it from the litter trays (and we have 4 cats!)


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

Some people collect waste coffee grinds and use it to grow mushrooms with. They fill bags and suspend them from ceilings. Can't remember which programme I saw it on but they had them hung up in cellars I think and sold the mushrooms to restaurants.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

My old landlady had heard the thing about coffee grounds being a slug repellent and was always trying to find ways to combat the slimy fiends. We tried it but soon realised that it does puck all to scare them off. I think they actually liked it - although only lighter roasts - they must have been hipster slugs.

I've been chucking mine on the garden just in case it's good for the plants - which maybe it isn't now I've read Nick's post. My whole garden smells a bit coffee-like now, which does seem to have convinced the local cats that my flower bed isn't a cat latrine, so that's good. The resident snails are totally unfazed.

Call me soft but the idea of infecting snails with parasitic worms just to keep your flowers nice seems a bit grim. Although I guess it's moot whether you kill them with biological or chemical warfare. Then again I apologise to the snails if I tread on one by accident.


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## paul whu (Sep 25, 2014)

My good lady currently snips the slugs in half with scissors. Probably more barbaric than Nemaslug. I'm no vegan however and slug welfare is unimportant to the likes of me.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

paul whu said:


> My good lady currently snips the slugs in half with scissors.


Lengthways for good measure


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

The only thing I have ever found to reduce the population of anything in the garden is a small child. The snails, slugs, worms, bugs have all been mauled to death, weeds all picked and put into vases, grass turned into mud, pots turned into aggregate, hedges stripped of leaves.

bit like having a talking chicken-goat-pig monster


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

h1udd said:


> The only thing I have ever found to reduce the population of anything in the garden is a small child. The snails, slugs, worms, bugs have all been mauled to death, weeds all picked and put into vases, grass turned into mud, pots turned into aggregate, hedges stripped of leaves.
> 
> bit like having a talking chicken-goat-pig monster


Nothing escapes our chickens, not even baby chicks! Our back garden has now has no moss, no weeds, no pests and no grass (well, very little now and not cut it in over a year..










Plus, if you train them right...










They'll even make coffee (but are rubbish at latte art!)


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

> Nothing escapes our chickens, not even baby chicks! Our back garden has now has no moss, no weeds, no pests and no grass (well, very little now and not cut it in over a year..


Plenty of chicken poo though


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## Rhys (Dec 21, 2014)

NickdeBug said:


> Plenty of chicken poo though


Tell me about it...







Hae to put boots on to go outside and leave them outside (under-cover) as they are caked underneath with the stuff! Good for the garden though


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

I wish ours kept the grass down. I desperately need to cut the grass - must be 3 inches long in there


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

Rhys said:


> Nothing escapes our chickens


Yeah, I wanted a chicken, but my missus made me have a child instead. I was going to name Her Harriot and we were going to watch motorsport together, I would eat Cheesy Puffs and she would sit on my lap and gently cluck in an amused way as Massa gets more and more crap. And afterwards we would go out in the garden and she would hunt for slugs in that Jurassic way that Chickens do .. little fluffy allosaurus / velociraptor hunting kind of way.

I guess a baby girl is close ... the hunting is there, but I am not allowed to watch motorsport ..... and you cant do that cool moving her around and her head stays still thing that chickens do


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

NickdeBug said:


> Plenty of chicken poo though


I have a labrador that can deal with that!


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## NickdeBug (Jan 18, 2015)

aaroncornish said:


> I have a labrador that can deal with that!


So do I









Foodador

Currently lurking on sofa pretending to be a cushion, but full of horse poo and rotten apples so getting booted off in about 30 seconds

View attachment 19126


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Your dog eats horse keech and rotten apples? Strewth, that must ming to high heaven! ? ?? ???


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## Jedi oh (Mar 17, 2015)

I've put some onto my acers before as I'd heard it was good for them. Can't say I noticed any benefit though and I've not done it for ages.


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

Rhys said:


> Tell me about it...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Unfortunately - in my experience, although chicken sh*t is a wonderful fertiliser...... it only works in other gardens. Cos the garden with the chickens is a scene of total devastation!


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

I use my used coffee grounds to make coffee scrubs. It's fab!


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## Drewster (Dec 1, 2013)

hilltopbrews.co.uk said:


> I use my used coffee grounds to make coffee scrubs. It's fab!


What's the recipe/method?

Mrs D likes to use as an exfoliator type thingy... and currently just grabs a handful of grinds but its not very easy... So some method of holding it together would be useful. (The soap method above looks a possibility)


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## elonii (Jun 24, 2015)

I use mine on the garden and in compost, but I'm really interested in the coffee scrub idea - I could give them as gifts at Christmas to all my friends and family who keep telling me my coffee is a waste of time and I would be better with Nescafe and a splodge of rancid milk.


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

Drewster said:


> What's the recipe/method?
> 
> Mrs D likes to use as an exfoliator type thingy... and currently just grabs a handful of grinds but its not very easy... So some method of holding it together would be useful. (The soap method above looks a possibility)


It's in my blog. http://www.hilltopbrews.co.uk I recommend using Lucy bee organic coconut oil.


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

That's a really good idea! I wonder is espresso grinds are too fine


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

@Drewster I also recommend putting it in moulds than jars. Then freeze it. Take what you need. It defrosts relatively quick. The problem with leaving it in jars is that they get mouldy after 3 days or so. I once left my coconut scrub in my steam room by accident and it became so mouldy!

So the ratio I go for is 1 part coffee grounds and 1 part coconut oil.


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## hilltopbrews (May 17, 2013)

aaroncornish said:


> That's a really good idea! I wonder is espresso grinds are too fine


My grinds vary from cupping to Turkish fine. Espresso grinds are good to use. In fact, after weeks of using, I prefer the fine grounds. I do worry about clogging up my drain tho...


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

The coconut oil is likely to be an issue - as that is a solid fat when cool. But on the plus side it is good for your skin


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## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

Q. When used grounds start "growing", what is with the salmon pink colour?

Sounds like a pointless question but I was wondering if we might determine something about the other content with a view to feeding certain plants


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## Brewer in training (Feb 7, 2015)

grumpydaddy said:


> Q. When used grounds start "growing", what is with the salmon pink colour?
> 
> Sounds like a pointless question but I was wondering if we might determine something about the other content with a view to feeding certain plants


It's the " Clean the bloody knock box!" bacterium....... The Mrs is allergic to it......... Well so she says....


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

That is so rank! You've got to at least launch the grinds onto the flower bed before they start producing anthrax! The chances of those spores being penicillin and curing you of anything are about the same as winning the WBC with a sneaky spoonful of Mellow Birds.

Joking aside, I doubt if there are actually any serious health risks unless you breathe mould spores in often enough to cause sensitisation. But not exactly appetizing!


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