Composting? Starbucks/Tim Hortons can help! :)

[kerry_nf]

Hey guys, I figure this is a great place to talk about composting as I would expect there are a lot of seasoned gardners, etc here.

I built a compost bin a few weeks ago and started doing some research on the topic. I read a lot about how good coffee grinds are for the compost heap and/or just spreading them in the garden.

I approached the local Tim Hortons down the road from me and asked them if they would mind filling 5 gallon buckets that I give them with their coffee grinds. They happily obliged and MAN what a load of coffee grinds I have now. The compost heap seems to be doing very well with the addition of grinds and coffee filters and I have been spreading the exess coffee around shrubs and flowers and just topping up the lawn.

Taking the grinds from the coffee places is a win-win situation as it means less garbage in the landfill and the grinds I take are going back into the ground in a way that HELPS nature.

I believe it is actualy a Starbucks policy (in writing on their website) that, if asked, they will collect their grinds for you.

I also approached a few restaurants and have them collecting their veggie waste for me in buckets now and again. They said it wasn't a problem because, as one guy put it, "It's less for us to throw in the garbage."

This is a great way to help the environment and to grow breath-taking gardens.

Any compost/garden experts please offer your advice tips.

[MacS]

Kerry,

First of all, tell us how baby is doing.

Just curious, do you add any "lime" into the compose bin? It helps break down the enzymes and speeds up the compose.

[kerry_nf]

Hey Mac. The baby and Mom are doing just fine. She is growing like a weed. I will try and get some decent pics up to show her off when I can get around to it.

I did some reading on adding lime and the consensus is that it is not really necessary. Here's a little snippet from a web page:

"It is normally not necessary to add lime to your compost pile to improve the breakdown of most yard wastes. Finished compost is usually slightly alkaline. If you add lime during the decomposition process, it will probably be too alkaline when completed. If your pile contains large amounts of acidic materials such as pine needles or fruit wastes, you might add lime, but no more than one cup per 25 cubic feet of material. Excessive lime application can lead to loss of nitrogen from the compost pile."

I found that here.

[MacS]

Follow your bliss, things do change, but others have their way of thinking too.

If you know what your putting in, then the lime might not be needed, most people are not that careful, and will throw just about anything in the compose bin which will slow down the cooking.

[kerry_nf]

What kinds of things slow down the cooking? This is stuff I need to know.

[MacS]

Kerry,

its been a long time since I did any garden composing and I really don't remember, maybe, you can ask the guy on the web site who told you not to use the lime, he should know, he told you so.

[Pop]

Funny you mentioned using coffee grounds in your compost... my mother used to always throw her coffee grounds (Mom and Dad drank a LOT of coffee) in her flower beds and around the peone (spelling?) bushes in the yard. Folks could never figure out why her flowers looked so much fuller and rich in color than theirs.

I'll never forget the time my Dad put sawdust around the house as a mulch. We had a trazillion of the little inch worms all over the place the next year!!!