Coffee grounds as weed barrier

[Wild Dog]

I started this little experiment 2 years ago after learning that coffee grounds will crust and repel water if placed thick on the surface of the soil.

This pot was a compost bucket in the sense that it was filled with kitchen scraps, cig butts, dead weeds and grass and urinated on regularly. I had used the liquid from this rotting bucket of unholy material as liquid fertilizer. The strength was about the same as liquid fertilizer or about a tablespoon per gallon of water. Naturally I had to try to find out how much was too much and it seemed to be about the tablespoon per gallon because I increased it and burned some plants. The plants loved this compost ROT tea! The reason I call it “compost ROT tea” is that is not proper compost and in fact the more proper term is leachate not tea.

To see how plants would respond to being grown using this unholy whatever, the top 1/3 of the rot was removed and then a hosta was planted using pro-mix in the top 1/3 of the bucket. Note; the bucket has the drain holes about 4 inches above the bottom leaving a constant water reservoir in the bottom.

This unholy material was underway when I learned of the crusting coffee so I placed about ½ inch of coffee grounds on the surface of the bucket to see what would happen. Thinking that the plant would probably die anyway. After 2 years there have only been 2 weeds appear in this pot and plant has grown like a weed.

Late next spring the plant will be decanted to examine the roots involvement with this unholy material.

I do not recommend using this unholy material as part of a potting mix but the plants roots started above this material so they could enter the lower area or not and we will learn what happened.

Coffee grounds have been shown to be a valuable soil amendment (minor nitrogen source) when placed below mulch, which keeps them moist eliminating the crusting “problem” on the soil surface.

Result; the coffee grounds have acted as a weed barrier in potted plants outdoors.

1st photo is going dormant last fall.


Spring showing 1 of 2 weeds that germinated

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/wi ... 010175.jpg

Now the growth in the middle of the second year.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/wi ... sjul08.jpg

[newtohosta-no more]

Interesting, Wild Dog, but I had to read that twice when I came across the part about it being urinated on regularly. I assume you are the one to do the deed?

[thy]

Sorry language problem here, English is not my first language.
But trying:

A bucket of weeds with holes 4 inches up and urinated on, will in Denmark give 4 inches of sort of liquid stuff and most summers several inches of dried weeds

You can only use a tablespoon, sorry I do not understand why. If you do a bucket of the special good weed .. burning needle and soo and keep it moist, you will get a very bad smelling moisture, low in nitrogene bur good in other ways, you can use a 20% solution or more if you wish, you still have to add the urin.. and you can urinate on whatever plant you want witout harming it- fact they love it... so I just do not unerstand-

Coffee grit have been used specially for roses more than 50 years... freely combined with urin in lack of water closets in the cabins, weeds loved it, but it worked great for the roses. It have been said to avoid gants and slugs too... not true at all.

But I may have misunderstood your posting, what I am typing is just what all old gardeners and ecologist know-
Please explain.

Pia

[Wild Dog]

When I used the liquid from the bottom of this bucket it was on potted plants not plants in the ground.

When I increased the amount it burned the plants in POTS.

I've put it full strength in the bog where it was diluted in a hurry. I would empty it in the bog when I knew it was going to rain.

If anyone tries this please be careful increasing the dosage!

I would love for someone to do more careful testing to determine a proper dosage. Remember things done in pots can be exaggerated easily, such as fertilizer or other chemicals like pesticides or herbicides. Pots do not have the buffering effect that the soil has.

[ademink]

Does this mean that the hosta that you gave me in a bucket has YOUR PEE IN THE BOTTOM?????!!!!!

[Wild Dog]

Lift it up and smell?

It is potted, let me say in a similar manner, how is it doing potted by this general method?

[ademink]

ROFLOL...I ain't smellin' NUTTIN, buddy!

Plant looks great, by the way.

[Wild Dog]

Can't fool a Swiss Miss!

You little wiggle tail nematoad.

[jobranch]

I was at the Alabama Hosta Society meeting in May and "Captain Compost" held a discussion about organic gardening and talked about taking a whiz on your compost - that it was a good thing to do! Check out his website: http://www.captaincompostalabama.com/

[jobranch]

Also, I think I remember Captain Compost saying that used coffee grounds were great for keeping slugs away...

[LucyGoose]

[ademink]

At the next AHS Convention:

"Whizzing on Your Outhouse Delight".

[largosmom]

Humans are animals. Urine contains Urea, which is an ingredient for some fertilizers. Animal manures and urine have been used for centuries for fertilizers. However, I believe that vegetarian "products" by animals such as cows are believed to be of higher quality as fertilizer than that of omnivores such as humans. More on the chemistry I do not know, except that in high concentrates, the ingredients can burn plants as has been pointed out. I assume this is due to too much acid.

[Wild Dog]

In a compost situation the urine will react with the organic matter then the result will be eaten by organisms. Now the nitrogen is tied up in another form then another organism will eat that one finally the nitrogen is available to the plant.

You all are angry because you live in the city and can't whiz off the porch into your own compost bucket.

I'm just living out here in perfect harmony with nature.

[eastwood2007]

This is a very interesting thread....if I get DH to read it, I might finally get him to be interested in gardening...