Using tea leaves in the garden – to boost your plants' health
We’re all for recycling, especially when it benefits our gardens. The latest discovery we’ve made? Using tea leaves in the garden can lead to healthier plants. Of course it can – faded memories suddenly return of parents emptying tea leaves over bountiful rose bushes.
But tea leaves are not just good for plants – they can boost compost and deter pests, too. We investigate the upsides – and downsides – of using tea leaves in the garden.
USING TEA LEAVES IN THE GARDEN
Plant fertilizers contain, among other ingredients, nitrogen, which encourages healthy leaf growth.
Tea leaves also contain nitrogen – but much more than you’ll find in plant fertilizers. There is also potassium and phosphorus in tea, plus tannic acid – which not all plants love. Tea contains aluminum, fluorine and manganese, too, which in high doses can slow plant growth.
This means that stewed tea could harm plant growth, particularly if they don't like acidic soil. Instead, used but drained tea leaves are best added to compost rather than soil or directly over plants. There, they will increase nutrient and oxygenation levels in the compost.
It’s important to know that not all plants like tea leaves, whether poured over them directly or via compost you’ve made up – the tannic acid in them can lower the soil’s pH and increase its acidity.
So, if you are growing plants that like acidic conditions – there’s a list below – you can safely use tea leaves beneficially. But if you are growing plants that prefer alkaline conditions – again, a list below – you need to be careful. Keeping an eye on your soil’s pH levels is all important. Yellowing leaves can be a sign of acid levels being too high, so keep an eye on this.
Source: https://www.homesandgardens.com/advice/using-tea-leaves-in-the-garden