Using Coffee Grounds: What do I need to know?

[Skilling]

Hello everyone.

For awhile now, I've been saving my used coffee grounds and putting them in the garden soil and around the base of my trees outside my house. I've always heard using coffee grounds is a good thing to do, but I'm wondering if there are some plants/trees I should avoid doing this too?

I have blueberries, jalapenos, bell peppers, pomegranate tree, orange tree and an avocado tree. I started adding the coffee grounds to my jalapeno plants, and the one that is still in a pot, seems to have liked it. It's grown alot over the last few weeks. But, I don't want to hurt any ofmy plants, especially the trees. .. Any thoughts or insight?

Thanks, in advance!

[microcollie]

Used coffee grounds have most of the acids and caffein cooked out of them, so they are pretty safe to put anywhere. I put mine in my compost a couple times a day, filter and all. (filters are unbleached and organic)
Someone just told me in another forum that coffee grounds may help to deter slugs, but thought that used ones wouldn't be sharp enough. Not sure if I'm willing to invest in spreading freshly-ground coffee out for them.

[stella1751]

When I remember, I collect my coffee grounds to add to my compost. However, while researching soil amendments yesterday, I learned that coffee grounds can be high in potassium, which I don't need. I can't find the website from yesterday, but the following link came up during a google search of "coffee grounds potassium": [url=https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080612190650AA1f2eE]Yahoo! Answers[/url]

I don't think I'll be using them any more. The nitrogen is good, but I can get that from other sources.

[Gary350]

Ground up coffee beans makes good coffee. Throw the left overs on your compost pile. Thats all you need to know.

[rainbowgardener]

You can't really hurt your plants with coffee grounds, which do add nitrogen and potassium. If you put a bunch of coffee grounds down, they tend to crust over and repel water, so they are better turned/scratched into the soil than just laid down on top. They are somewhat acidic, so your blueberries will love them.

There was an urban legend around that coffee grounds around your plants would keep slugs away, but as noted that does not work.

Otherwise, they are a good addition (as was said above, filter and all) to your compost pile.