Discussion forum for environmentally-friendly alternatives to replace synthetic chemicals and fertilizers.
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#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Abilene, TX zone 7
Posts: 1,478
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I have yet to get most of my beds prepped and will plant out this weekend. I had originally planned to do it two or three weeks earlier, but weather didn't allow me to do that.
My beds are 50 sq. feet. I have a cover crop of hairy vetch that I will cut and lay down cover it with compost and some corn meal, shredded leaves and shredded tree trimmings on top. I will amend each planting hole. I use no till and didn't fertilize after last year. My question is this, I was going to also layer in copious amounts of coffee grounds either between the leaves and soil, or between the leaves and tree trimmings. At this late stage, should I even put in coffee grounds? I am worried about excess nitrogen and getting big green leafy plants with no tomatoes. Or will the breakdown and release of nutrients be slow enough to feed but not over feed? |
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#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: albuquerque
Posts: 308
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I think it will be OK since it is an organic source that takes a while to break down. I just put down a mix of coffee chaff, coffee grounds and half broken down shredded leaf compost. I will give it 2 weeks or 3 before I plant.
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#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b
Posts: 1,302
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You always need to balance green and brown, if you have no other sources of nitrogen, best lay the coffee down, the leaves breaking down will soak it up, I doubt much will be available till it all breaks down. Tomatoes are pretty heavy feeders in my experience.
Compost alone is not really a fertilizer, more a soil amendment. I always add organic fertilizer to compost. So adding coffee grounds is adding organic fertilizer. I myself would add more anyway. Not like coffee is a super source of nitrogen. |
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#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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If you have worms in your garden they will love the coffee grounds and leaves.
Worth |
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#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 1,413
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I was curious how much nitrogen is actually in coffee grounds. Googling it, there are many sources that suggest about 2% nitrogen by volume. For what its worth.
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#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Abilene, TX zone 7
Posts: 1,478
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I went ahead and put the compost on top of the cut vetch, then put leaves, then coffee grounds, and then shredded tree trimming on top. I layered it green - brown, and the coffee grounds were stirred in with the leaves to some extent, so I think this will work out fine. Much like planting in a new lasagna bed, or planting around the edge of a compost pile.
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#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Posts: 2,593
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All I know is that coffee grounds rapidly heat up the shredded leaves, indicating a high nitrogen level. And, unlike green clippings, coffee grounds keep a big pile hot for two weeks or more.
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