Coffee Grounds in a bucket composting

[ButterflyLady29]

I recently started collecting used coffee grounds from several local Starbucks locations. Some stores save the grounds, some don't. A few offered to save them if I would pick them up every day (much as I would like to I can't make the 20 mile round trip every day). After a month I ended up with more than I can use at one time. So I started putting the grounds in buckets, mixed with some shredded newspaper and wood pellet rabbit litter pan waste. I drilled some small holes around the tops of the buckets, just under the rim, so excess moisture can evaporate. I was surprised to find that this mixture gets pretty warm. After one week I can see where the material is breaking down. I water it occasionally because when it heats it dries the mix out quite a bit.

Right now I've got 2 buckets in the process of decomposing. Another with coffee grounds, wood pellet litter and kitchen waste. A couple more buckets are awaiting use when I get a chance to repot my citrus trees.

[toxcrusadr]

Good for you! You should get a compost bin, or make one out of a circle of wire fencing, or some discarded pallets. A larger pile will heat up better and make compost faster.

[ButterflyLady29]

I've got 3. The wire bin has finally rotted down and needs to be emptied, after a spider killing frost. One of the plastic bins is still a working bin, and nearly full although I take finished compost out of the bottom every spring. The other plastic bin is ready to be emptied and moved because I have another spot where I want to put it. And I have the pile of larger material that is breaking down nicely and needs to be rebuilt.

So I ran out of room for big bins and the bags of grounds were piling up on the deck and needed to go. I had plenty of 5 gallon buckets setting around.

But now I have 2 more buckets full of just coffee grounds. I'll have to start spreading them in the garden if I get any more. I hope the smell of the grounds chases the voles out of the woodland garden.

[toxcrusadr]

Wow, you have a lot of compost going. I don't know if grounds will chase voles away, but it might make them nervous.

[ButterflyLady29]

At least make them jittery!

I haven't spread them in the garden yet. It's on the agenda, just hasn't been done. And the pile keeps growing.