How to start and maintain a compost heap?

[mmb1996]

Its also good to dump the pickle juice when your finished with it onto your plants.

[maree_strawberry]

You can keep a coffee can & empty anything that goes In the garden throughout the day rt In there. Then go dump It daily or do It weekly. Keep the lid & you won't have to worry about odor.

[esperanza]

I have added the grounds to my compost all winter and am now dumping the leftover coffee straight onto the garden instead of pouring it down the drain.

It's the first year I've done it so we'll see if it makes a difference.

[mama22qts]

Tomatoes and azaleas really like the grounds; I have also found from experience that begonias love leftover coffee (not grounds, the brewed coffee itself).

[BzyBee]

OK, I picked up a few bags from starbucks but was a bit disappointed to read on the label that 'most of the acidity is removed in the brewing process'. :Nod: I will still use it for my azaleas and such, but how much am I supposed to put down??

[mama22qts]

Here's a good link for information on using coffee in your garden.

Bzy -- just carry your bag along with you and sprinkle liberally around your plants. You can rake it in, or just leave it on top. Either way it's beneficial.

I have about 800 sq ft of garden area and I probably go through 2 bags of Starbucks' collected grounds every couple of weeks.

[JANE4girls]

I went into two different Starbucks and they looked at me like I was purple or something when I asked for used coffee grounds.

I have been throwing the ones I have from home, including the paper filter in the compost pile though.

Such a small pile....:Wrong:

[BzyBee]

Thanks for the link Elizabeth...

Jane...perhaps you can refer your starbucks to their own website for info on the program!! http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/compost.asp

Maybe they will start saving them if you ask...???

[JANE4girls]

thanks for the link, I will print it out and take it with me tomorrow.

[JANE4girls]

I went today to a real starbucks instead of the one at Target or Kroger and got a big bag of grounds. They actually knew what I was talking about, LOL.

I guess the smaller cafe's inside stores don't participate.

going back tomorrow to get more! and a caramel frap!