Yes, tea leaves are very good for plants. Just when you thought tea leaves couldn’t get any better – because making a beautiful cup of tea is enough – it turns out the leaves are a great source of nutrients for your garden soil. So when you’re done making tea, you can use them as compost fertilizer or mulch.
In this article you'll find:
Top three reasons why tea leaves are good for your garden
1. Tea leaves help regulate the temperature and moisture level of the soil. Your plant’s roots will feel just right.
2. Tea leaves add a ton of nutrients that fertilize the soil : potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, to name a few. They also inherently contain high doses of tannic acid that regulates the pH levels of the soil, while simultaneously oxygenating it, making for well-ventilated soil.
3. It is a non-polluting, natural, ‘green’ fertilizer that is highly preferable to chemical or artificial fertilizer.
Prepping your tea leaves for the garden
- Save your tea leaves after making some pots or cups of tea.
2. Remove any trace of milk or sugar by rinsing the leaves well. If you’re using a tea bag, you’ll want to remove the tea from the bag so you just have the leaves.
3. Dry the leaves well. I just put mine on a plate in the kitchen and stir the leaves around when I pass by every now and then. It doesn’t take too long.
Since this isn’t a gardening blog, and I don’t know which plants you’re growing, I don’t want to say how to add them or how much to add, to which plants. Please read about the needs of your particular plants, but I can tell you my veggie garden loves tea leaves 🙂
So, are tea leaves good for plants?
Absolutely! The next time you brew yourself some tea, save the leaves, dry them out and add them to your garden – your plants will thank you!
References
1. https://www.researchgate.net/post/Do_tea_waste_have_a_fertility_value_for_soil_and_plant
