Subject: Re: gardening chemistry question
From: #gondwana <gondwana@ix.netcom.com>
Organization: Gondwana Gardens
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 08:22:47 +0000
Message-ID: <MOD$971013.8109@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971010.17474@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$971011.25688@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


Dennis R. Moore wrote:
>
> On Fri, 10 Oct 97 11:56:30, #gondwana wrote:
>
> >
> >What would happen if equal parts coffee ground and fireplace ashes were
> >placed together (with nothing else) and allowed to decompose?
[snip]
> >
> >David Deutsch

>
> The average fertilizer composition of wood ash is 1.8% P205, 5.5% K20,
> 23% Ca, 2.2% Mg. 100 pounds of wood ash has an effect on soil reaction
> equivalent to 57 pounds of Calcium Carbonate. Fresh coffee grounds
> contain 1.84% N, .03% P205, .12% K20. I could find no data on the acid
> equivalent for coffee grounds. BTW, as I'm sure you know, "P" is the
> symbol for Phosphorous, not for Potassium as a previous poster
> suggested.
>
> --
> Dennis R. Moore (remove "nsp" from address to reply via e-mail)

What sort of ratio of coffee grinds to wood ash would you need to bring
the pH to 7? This would really be the main bit of info I am missing now
that everyone has been so helpful with their information. Seems to me no
one is saying "Don't do it." But they do say that the mixture would
still be alkaline unless you added enough coffee grinds....but how much?

David