The powerful nutrients contained in tea will be helpful for some plants, but not as much for others. Keep in mind the acidic content of tea. Those amino acids and tannic acids can enrich soil by lowering its pH, which also means increasing its acidity.
Tea is a good fertiliser for pot plants
There is significantly more nitrogen in tea leaves than in most liquid pot plant fertilisers that are formulated for healthy, balanced growth. While nitrogen promotes leafy growth, it is unlikely that much of the nitrogen in tea is actually available to plants.
“Tea leaves are high in tannic acid and many other valuable nutrients that make it more fertile. It also helps increase oxygenation and facilitates the growth of a stronger root system,” she adds. This fertilizer is especially effective for fruit-bearing plants, herbs, and flowering plants.
Mulching with tea leaves can play a major role in your garden's health and growth. It will suppress weeds, provide soil with nitrogen, and help create a moist environment for your plants.
The idea behind manure tea is great: it's like using compost or manure as fertilizer, but you don't get messy and it doesn't stink. It's a great natural way to fertilize succulents and my succulents loved it!
The Takeaway: Acid Loving Plants Like Tea Leaves
These plants include hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and berry bushes, to name a few. So if you're wondering if tea leaves are good for plants, the answer is yes, especially if they are plants that love acid soil.
You might have already added tea leaves to your garden and your compost pile, but have you thought about using them as Rose fertilizer? Split open your tea bags and sprinkle the tea leaves around the base of your Rose bushes. They love tea leaves, and you'll definitely notice it when you notice your gorgeous blossoms!
You could try this watering plants with tea hack on plants that are happiest in slightly acidic soil – like poinsettia, hydrangeas, spider plants and rubber plants. But stick to standard plant food for plants that prefer alkaline conditions.
Banana peels contain: calcium, which promotes root growth helps add oxygen to your soil. magnesium, which assists with photosynthesis. sulphur, which helps plants develop strong roots and repel pests.
If you think your pure loose leaf tea is definitely past expiration date and you don't want to drink it, you can use it in a compost for a garden or house plants.
Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus in tea can be beneficial to indoor plants as well as those in the backyard. As Leslie said earlier, nitrogen encourages leafy growth, so, in theory, burying tea bags in soil, watering with cold tea or sprinkling dry tea leaves onto the soil might help leggy plants to look more bushy.
Organic gardeners want to avoid using chemicals in their gardens and so have been using coffee granules instead of slug pellets, as the caffeine in the coffee deters slugs. This is why tea leaves work well as a deterrent too but they won't stop other pests.
On the subject of tannins and tannic acid, like with used coffee grounds, plants which prefer acidic soil can enjoy a little boost from used tea leaves. Sprinkle around acid loving plants like rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, roses, citrus trees, blueberry bushes and ferns.
Just about any herb can be used to make tea, but some make tastier teas than others.
It's simple – mix tea leaves into the topsoil as fertiliser. Mix them into the topsoil for a lush visual. Tea is highly acidic and full of nutrients that can help plants thrive. You can also throw them into the compost pile.
I always save my used tea leaves/left over tea and coffee grounds to put around my camellias. These break down and condition the soil and also help to maintain the right slightly acid pH level.
This is also good for houseplants, so add old tea leaves to their water. When potting plants, place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before adding soil. The tea bags will help to retain water and will also leach some nutrients into the potting medium.
The presence of not just potassium but calcium, iron, copper and manganese in banana peels is just too good a combination for roses. In addition, the nutrient availability that banana peels provide helps roses develop strong stems with exceptionally radiant flowers while bolstering their immune system.
“Tea leaves contain tannic acid and nutrients that are natural fertilizers for a garden,” states Natural Ways. As the leaves and bag decompose they release the nutrients into the soil, creating an ideal growing area. They help retain water and many gardeners plant them next to the roots of their plants.
Most rose care books recommend removing old leaves on your roses either over the winter or right after pruning. The thinking is that doing so also removes any disease spores that may linger over the winter on the foliage.
Increased anxiety, stress, and restlessness
Tea leaves naturally contain caffeine. Overconsuming caffeine from tea, or any other source, may contribute to feelings of anxiety, stress, and restlessness ( 3 ).
Use Tea in Plants That Prefer Acidic Soil
Some of the plants that tend to do better with a little more acidic soil include rubber plants, spider plants, ferns (not the Maidenhair), oxalis, begonias, philodendron, orchids, African violets, tomatoes, poinsettias, Easter lilies, and hydrangeas.