North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[nottke1 <nottke1@earthlink.net>]

"Used" coffee grounds have been sterilized with boiling water and most of the water-soluble chemicals have been extracted into the java - so the coffee grounds after brewing should be quite safe to use as a mulch around plants. 

However, the cup of coffee brewed from the coffee grounds now contains all those water-soluble chemicals and probably should NOT be poured around the plants or outside on the ground - you are better off to drink it and let you body take care of those chemicals.

Jim - zone 7 North Carolina

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Bastian
Sent: Mar 31, 2008 7:00 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [NAFEX] Coffee grounds bad for mycorrhizal fungi?

I read somewhere that the caffeine in coffee is actually a self defense mechanism against disease in coffee plants and that some people actually spray coffee on there plants to prevent disease.

 

In the past year or two I have built up beneficial mycorrhizal fungi under my baby apple trees with wood chips and leaf mulch. Then recently I secured a source of free coffee grounds from a local convenience store to use as mulch. I am wondering if there is any chance the coffee grounds could kill off the fungi under my trees. Should I reserve the grounds for other uses or am I just paranoid about the effects of grounds on my fungi.

 

Any input appreciated,

Jim

Zone 4ish, 5ish, sometimes even 3ish NH

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Jim Nottke
Pfafftown, NC