Tea makes an excellent drink throughout the whole day. It’s great to start your day with it, and it’s great at the end of the day to relax before drifting off to dreamland. And while we all know how good tea can be for us, we give little thought when we throw the used tea bags into the trash.
Are tea bags good for plants?
After all, what good could a used tea bag do? Well, a lot, apparently. There are so many things we’ve never thought about when it comes to tea, and below, we give you 10 good reasons why tea is even more useful than you thought.
In short, burying your tea bags instead of throwing them away has so many advantages, that you will never see them as garbage after reading this.
1. The tea bags decompose
You don’t need to worry about the bags in which the leaves are stored. They are usually made from natural fibers which easily decompose – virtually disappearing within six months. And the richness of nutrients these bags contain is something your plants will thrive on.
2. Soil fertilizing properties
The fact that most tea leaves contain tannic acid and nutrients that serve as natural fertilizers in the garden makes tea the perfect fertilizer for your plants. The nutrients that are released when tea decomposes will boost your plants, by providing them with a healthy growing environment.
3. Worms love tea leaves
We all know how worms play a crucial part in the creation of a healthy and nurturing soil for the plants. And worms will love the tea leaves! Once they consume and digest the leaves, they produce a fertilizer which is rich in nutrients and makes your soil a healthier environment for your plants to grow.
4. Increased water retention
Burying your tea bag near the roots of your plant will help it to have regular access to water, as the tea bag will retain water and help the plants stay healthier.
5. Increased decomposition of other items
The acid in the tea helps to speed up the decomposition process of other things in the soil, which makes tea bags especially useful in compost piles. They will help everything decompose fast, and they will add some of their own nutrients to the compost.
6. You can grow a garden with your bags
Place some used tea bags, seeds, a paper towel, and some water in a plastic tray, and watch your seeds germinate in a healthy environment that is rich in moisture and nutrients. After you germinate your seeds, plant them in the garden.
7. Keeping weeds at bay
The tea bags also help in impeding the growth of weeds, which not only saves a ton of work but also gives the plant the opportunity to thrive by not having to compete with other plants in terms of nutrient absorption.
8. Keeping pests away
Tea bags for plants (and coffee grounds) emit an odor which deters pests from chewing on your plants.
9. And cats too
Cat owners know how cats like the soft soil around tended plants. If you sprinkle some used tea grounds or coffee grounds around your garden, however, you will see how your cat will start avoiding those places. You can do this with indoor plants as well.
10. Reduced garbage
And, obviously, not throwing your tea bags in the bin will eliminate excess waste, while your tea bags are recycled in the smartest way.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.