My compost pile was a total failure until I tried a weird trick with coffee grounds

For months, my compost in the backyard bin was just a wet, smelly mess that never broke down. I read online that coffee grounds could help, so I started collecting them from my local cafe. After adding about 5 pounds of grounds over two weeks and turning the pile, it heated up and started working perfectly. Has anyone else fixed a compost disaster with something unexpected?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.charles2mo ago

Oh man, coffee grounds are a lifesaver! My pile was just a cold, soggy lump for ages. I got desperate and shredded a bunch of my old cardboard egg cartons and pizza boxes into it. That brown cardboard soaked up the extra moisture and gave the worms something to munch on. It totally fixed the balance and got things cooking again.

charles3262mo ago

Ever try adding torn up newspaper? That was my fix for a wet pile, it soaks up the mess and breaks down pretty fast.

eva_lewis25d ago

Totally feel you on that, @charles326. A wet pile is such a pain, it's nice to hear someone else figured out a fix. I've had the same kind of desperate moments where you just grab anything around the house to save it. Tossing in shredded paper and old cardboard boxes has been my go to too. It's wild how fast that stuff soaks up the moisture and gets the pile breathing again. Glad it worked out for you.