I don't put used coffee grounds in my beds, but I do use them in my composting. They provide lots of nitrogen and a bucket of them (free from your local Starbucks) will really heat up a compost pile.

Others do put grounds directly on beds and I'm sure they provide nitrogen there also as they break down. There is some evidence that the caffeine in UCG repels slugs. In fact there is a product for sale in the UK that uses caffeine in this way. The problem is that the caffeine leaches out of the used grounds fairly quickly, so you would have to "recharge" the grounds regularly with left over coffee or new UCG. This could be somewhat labor intensive in a large garden.

All in all, UCG like any organic matter will not hurt your plants and will likely help them over time.

Steve

indifferent..

its compost.. so nothing wrong with it ...

the way you are doing it can not change pH ...

just save an empty coffee can.. and save it for a few days.. in between trips outside ...

did steve really mean this: that the caffeine in UCG repels slugs ..

i could see it irritating the skin of a slug ... and perhaps increasing effect of the chem that kills them.. but how would caffeine 'repel' them ...???? .. what .. they smell coffee and run for the hills ... lol [do they have noses???] ...

ken

From the site Eartheasy.com

A study in June 2002 reported in the journal Nature found that slugs and snails are killed when sprayed with a caffeine solution, and that spraying plants with this solution prevents slugs from eating them. The percentage of caffeine required in a spray (1 - 2%) is greater than what is found in a cup of coffee (.05 - 07%), so homemade sprays are not as effective. Look for new commercial sprays which are caffeine-based.

There is a spray for sale in the UK that does this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Earth Easy - Natural Slug Control

Years ago someone in my garden club reported a way to use coffee grounds to prevent slugs. The complication is that you have to roast the used coffee grounds on a cookie sheet to completely dry them and make them brittle and sharp; if you don't roast them, they mold. Supposedly, slugs wouldn't climb over the sharp, dry coffee grounds. I tried it, but way too much work. Instead I compost it. N

so it says... probably dont hear this enough at home.. steve was right ... lol

regardless.. i dont buy it ... lol ...

thx for the link

ken

I use them (UCGs from Starbucks), I don't re-roast them, they keep slugs at bay for about a month (depending on rainfall) and they feed the soil.

tj