Free coffee grounds from starbucks

vtown05 · Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:09 am

The other day my girlfriend brought home some used coffee grounds from starbucks that they were giving away. They said to use it as fertilizer and it would provide good nitrogen. I'm currently growing a few different kinds of peppers. Bell, jalapeÃƒÂ±o, and banana peppers. How would I go about using these coffee grounds as fertilizer?

StorageSmart2 · Sat Apr 24, 2010 1:05 am

You know, I've heard a lot recently about Starbucks giving away their used coffee grounds. I don't actually go to Starbucks, because I don't like their coffee very much.

Just out of curiosity, does every location give out their coffee grounds? Has anyone ever been to a location that refused or looked at you like you were crazy? Do you have to purchase something first, or do they just hand them over? Has anyone heard of any other coffee houses doing this regularly, or is it just Starbucks?

applestar · Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:08 am

I believe Starbucks has a corporate policy to give away UCG for gardening purposes. Some places are well-organized with neatly packaged grounds, labels, and instruction sheets. In my area, apparently the request is sporadic -- I don't go regularly either -- and they've APOLOGIZED to me for not having been saving them if I just walk in. They'll give you what they got, and often that's more than you might expect. Those soggy wet grounds can be heavy. In the height of the season (probably starting up now) they restrict the amount they give away per customer.

And, no, you don't have to buy anything. I've requested UCG ahead of time -- calling the day before with specified pick up time. They'll save and put your name on it. I've encountered curious, "Oh, one of THOSE people" looks from the employees too. I look them in the eyes and give them my best grin

Then, again, I've ended up giving a mini lecture on benefits of UCG in your garden to other customers who stop me and ask questions.

Birddog · Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:36 am

I was getting my UCG from the local Dunkin D. until one of the employees was scolded for said favor. I'd like to ask my 7-11, but it's all the employees can do to keep the line moving there. I guess you have to scope the joint out and see if the people there can handle the extra step in their routine. I was providing my own clean bucket, but I suppose it'd be just as easy for them to bag the UCG.

applestar · Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:09 am

Nah. I think for places that don't specialize, providing your own bucket is a good idea. That way, they'll just put the UCG (filters are OK to break down in the compost) in your bucket, and hopefully, you won't be picking out garbage and trash. You could do this at work too.

Starbucks, majority of the UCG is from the espresso machine -- miniature hockey pucks of compressed, steam sterilized UCG, combined with a % of UCG and filter from the automatic drip.

vtown05 · Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:18 am

When I got my UCG they just repacked the coffee grounds back into the little foil packs that they originally came from. They said they limit two packs per person but the employee told my girlfriend to take as many as she wanted. They were just sitting in a basket. This was a starbucks on a university campus so I guess not to many students get into growing vegetables and stuff so they were probably happy to get rid of them. There is another coffee shop on campus called Jasmines that does the same thing.

When I opened the packs the grounds where wet and packed tight with some mold starting to grow on it but I just broke it up, spread it out in pans and let it bake in the sun all day. This dried it out very well and killed all the mold. I poured the UCG into quart jars and sealed it up. After drying them they took up about half the space as when they were wet.

Thanks for the info on how to use them. I'm going to sprinkle some around my plants.

Also, my girlfriend told me there was a sign there saying to soak the grounds in water and use it as a liquid fertilizer. Anyone ever do that?

StorageSmart2 · Sun Apr 25, 2010 12:38 am

vtown05 wrote: Also, my girlfriend told me there was a sign there saying to soak the grounds in water and use it as a liquid fertilizer. Anyone ever do that?

I`m not sure if this would help fertilize, but it would certainly help the plants wake up in the morning.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions, too. Maybe I`ll check out the local Starbucks next time I`m walking by. I think it`s really neat that companies are starting to look for new ways, like this one, to reduce their wastes.

tumbleweed · Sun Apr 25, 2010 6:50 am

Are UCG really good for tomatoes?

applestar · Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:23 am

I haven't actually looked into it so I can't say for tomatoes specifically, but I find all my tropical houseplants respond well to 2nd and 3rd dishwater coffee using the UCG -- orchids, rubber plants. Also fruit trees like citrus, avocado, mango. Overwintered Jalapeno pepper, and window experiment tomato also seemed to like it, as did overwintered experiment sweet pepper plants (they all flowered and fruited). UCG is said to contain trace minerals like calcium and magnesium, as well as the big 3, NPK.

Note though that UCG is thought to be slightly acidic, so you probably don't want to go too heavy on tomatoes or other usual garden veggies with it. It would probably do wonders for blueberries, azaleas, and hydrangeas, as well as the potato hill.

Another note, with regard to overwintered plants, all my containers have one or more earthworms in them, and they thrive on coffee grounds, which means they make more castings.

vtown05 · Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:35 pm

I sprinkled some of my free coffee grounds around my patio and I haven't seen hardly any ants. I used to have a huge ant problem on my patio and now they are gone. I even sprinkled some around the bottom of my grill because the ants would raid it when I got down cooking and it cooled down. No more ants on the grill.

soil · Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:57 pm

just toss it on top of the soil, and water as normal. simple as that

FieldofFlowers · Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:41 am

I used to get some and mix it in with my houseplant potting soil. It seemed to work great, as long as I didn't use too much of it and buried it a little. (on the top it got a little moldy.) Of course, that was when I lived in WI and could find a Starbucks, maybe even two on just about every block.

Now I just have to see if Caribou Coffee or the local coffee house does the same. Oddly enough, where I live Starbucks does not appear to have the same monopoly it has in other places. (yet).

sheeshshe · Mon Aug 02, 2010 3:06 pm

vtown05 wrote:I sprinkled some of my free coffee grounds around my patio and I haven't seen hardly any ants. I used to have a huge ant problem on my patio and now they are gone. I even sprinkled some around the bottom of my grill because the ants would raid it when I got down cooking and it cooled down. No more ants on the grill.

another site I was on suggested coffee grounds to get rid of ants. I tried it and it didn't work for my problem (I think it was the type of ants that I had). but that is awesome that it is working for you!!! super cool!

vtown05 · Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:53 pm

sheeshshe wrote:
vtown05 wrote:I sprinkled some of my free coffee grounds around my patio and I haven't seen hardly any ants. I used to have a huge ant problem on my patio and now they are gone. I even sprinkled some around the bottom of my grill because the ants would raid it when I got down cooking and it cooled down. No more ants on the grill.
another site I was on suggested coffee grounds to get rid of ants. I tried it and it didn't work for my problem (I think it was the type of ants that I had). but that is awesome that it is working for you!!! super cool!

I was having a problem with fire ants and it worked great. I HATE fire ants! Maybe the coffee ground thing only works on certain species of ants.

firstimegardener · Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:40 pm

I have found that the actually Starbucks stores usually don't have them because EVERYONE goes there to get them...I find better luck in the Starbucks shops that are inside your local grocery stores...most people don't think about them!

vtown05 · Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:53 pm

firstimegardener wrote:I have found that the actually Starbucks stores usually don't have them because EVERYONE goes there to get them...I find better luck in the Starbucks shops that are inside your local grocery stores...most people don't think about them!

I would imagine just about any coffee shop would give them to you if you asked. I get them from the coffee shops here on university campus.

firstimegardener · Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:16 pm

vtown05 wrote: I would imagine just about any coffee shop would give them to you if you asked. I get them from the coffee shops here on university campus.

Maybe I'm a coffee snob...but if I wouldn't drink it, then I won't put it on my garden

I only drink starbucks....I have never been able to find a coffee that tastes as good as theirs to me....

but that's just me