Subject: gardening chemistry question
From: #gondwana <gondwana@ix.netcom.com>
Organization: Gondwana Gardens
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 1997 06:26:30 +0000
Message-ID: <MOD$971010.17474@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


What would happen if equal parts coffee ground and fireplace ashes were
placed together (with nothing else) and allowed to decompose?

True, the resulting product wouldn't be nutritionally complete (or would
it?), but might it be useful as a supplement (like, say, fish emulsion)?
What would the chemical make up of the product be exactly, from a
fertilizer standpoint (i.e. NPK and trace mins).

Wood ashes are very alkaline, but very high in potash. Coffee grinds are
(I have heard . . . please correct me if I am wrong here) highly acidic,
but nutritionally empty. Combining the two, I am guessing, would
neutralize the severe alkalinity of the potsh in the ashes, and maybe
make it mose useful. In fact you need to actually make the mixture
slightly acid in order for the nutrients to be available to the roots of
many plants.

Any comments, ideas?

Thanks,

David Deutsch