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Which plants like tea leaves


Using tea leaves in the garden: to boost your plants' health

(Image credit: Alice Pasqual/Unsplash)

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.

See: Garden ideas – inspiration and ideas for outdoor spaces

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.

Tea leaves are usually removed from tea bags and the bags discarded appropriately before being used in the garden. However, some gardeners like to use paper (compostable) tea bags, however, as a mulch or drainage layer.

See: Using coffee grounds in the garden – extraordinary ways to boost plant growth

Another thing to note: it is more harmful than beneficial to use tea with milk or sugar in it in the garden: sugar will make plants wilt, milk will encourage mold growth.

Finally, over-fertilizing plants isn’t good for them, so throwing tea daily over plants – even ones that like acidic soil – might not be beneficial. Instead, look to add tea leaves to compost, as just one of its many ingredients.

Using tea leaves in compost

Used tea leaves added to compost boosts nitrogen levels which helps break down other things you have added, and encourages decomposing bacteria. These can be added as loose leaves or as bags – assuming the bags are paper and don’t have staples or string attached to them. 

Using tea leaves for pot plants

As with garden plants, acid-loving pot plants will benefit from used tea leaves being added to their soil – although as we said above, we would add it to compost as part of a balance of ingredients. See below for a full list of plants that like tea leaves. 

Using tea leaves to prevent weeds

Tea leaves won’t prevent weeds, but use them in mulch (indeed use any mulch) and weeds are less likely to be able to establish.

Using tea leaves to deter pests and insects

If your garden plants are being destroyed by pests, there is anecdotal evidence that you can use tea leaves and tea to deter those that hate the smell – mice, cats and some insects – by either scattering the leaves around the roots of the plant or by spraying cooled tea on to the plant.

Using tea leaves to prevent fungus

Spraying cold tea on to leaves can help ward off fungal diseases that some plants can suffer from.

Which plants like used tea leaves?

You can use tea leaves in the garden on plants that do well with a higher level of acid in the soil. Tea leaves won’t do a better job than shop-bought fertilizers, and are often better added to a balanced compost rather than directly to the plant.  

This is a basic list of plants that will benefit from tea leaves in their soil: 

See: Using eggs in the garden – the natural remedy for transforming your flower beds

Which plants don’t like used tea leaves?

Plants that need an alkaline environment or neutral pH will not benefit from having tea leaves added to their soil. A balanced compost – that includes some tea leaves but other beneficial ingredients – shouldn’t affect these plants dramatically, but keep an eye on wilted plants and those with yellow leaves, and check your soil’s pH levels if you have any concerns.

This is a basic list of plants that won’t benefit from tea leaves:

Lucy Searle has written about interiors, property and gardens since 1990, working her way around the interiors departments of women's magazines before switching to interiors-only titles in the mid-nineties. She was Associate Editor on Ideal Home, and Launch Editor of 4Homes magazine, before moving into digital in 2007, launching Channel 4's flagship website, Channel4.com/4homes. In 2018, Lucy took on the role of Global Editor in Chief for Realhomes.com, taking the site from a small magazine add-on to a global success. She was asked to repeat that success at Homes & Gardens, where she has also taken on the editorship of the magazine. 

Which Plants Like Tea Leaves?

Tea is great for drinking, but that isn’t the limit of its benefits to humanity. Gardeners also have a special relationship with tea since it can act as a natural fertilizer for many plants and provide others with the trace minerals they need to thrive. 

Leftover tea leaves are enjoyed by acid-loving plants like rhododendrons, berry bushes, and hydrangeas. Plants also benefit from being fertilized with leftover liquid tea since it can provide minerals and nutrients that help them thrive. Tea shouldn’t be used on plants that prefer alkaline soil. 

If you’ve got leftover tea bags, don’t throw them away! Keep reading to learn which plants in your garden you can fertilize with tea and how they like to take it. 

Using Tea Leaves with Garden Plants

Tea contains many nutrients that are good for various plants, but it’s especially useful when paired with acid-loving plants. This is because most teas contain high amounts of tannins, naturally occurring polyphenols that give tea its distinctive bitter taste. These tannins are great for enhancing tea’s antioxidant and antimicrobial qualities, but they make the tea acidic.  

Different garden plants prefer different soil pH levels depending on their natural habitat and their required growing conditions. Herbal teas are generally pH-neutral or close to it, but teas that contain Camellia sinensis leaves tend to be acidic. While many garden plants can tolerate an occasional acidic fertilizer, some are sensitive to pH. 

Why Is Tea Good for Plants? 

Tea is a popular homemade fertilizer for savvy gardeners, but what exactly is it in tea that makes it so beneficial to plants? Here are just a few of the ingredients in tea that make it a great replacement for commercial fertilizer: 

No matter which way you cut it, tea can pack a wallop of nutrition in a tiny package. It can basically function as a vitamin boost for your vegetables and your flowers alike. 

Types of Plants That Like Tea Leaves

There are many commonly-used garden plants that enjoy being treated with used tea leaves as a fertilizer. Here are a few of the most popular species: 

These are just a handful of the plants that enjoy a treatment with either liquid tea or used tea bags. 

The best rule of thumb is to always research the pH requirements and fertilizer recommendations for any individual species of plant you grow. This will help you make sure that tea is compatible with it. Since liquid tea is so diluted anyway, even plants that dislike acidic solutions don’t usually suffer a negative effect from being dosed with tea occasionally.  

Advantages of Using Tea on Plants

Along with the nutritional value of using tea leaves on your plants, there are several other benefits you can get from saving your used tea bags and reusing them in the garden. Here are just a few advantages of saving your tea for your plants: 

There are enough benefits associated with used tea bags and tea leaves that you should never have to throw your used tea in the trash again. If you don’t want to immediately use your used tea bags in the garden, keep an airtight metal container beside your tea kettle to hold used bags until you have a chance to take them outdoors. 

How to Use Tea on Plants

The two major ways that tea is typically used on houseplants and plants in the garden is as a liquid or by planting used tea bags in the garden to decompose naturally. Leftover tea can be poured directly on the soil beneath plants. Be sure to let tea cool completely before using it in the garden to prevent damage from the heat. 

Tea is a Useful Homemade Fertilizer

Except for a few very specific species, used tea leaves can provide a great source of nutrients for all sorts of plants in your garden and home. So if you enjoy lush foliage, delicious vegetables, and luscious blooms, think twice before throwing that used tea bag out! 

The Takeaway:  Acid Loving Plants Like Tea Leaves

Plants that thrive in acid-rich soil can benefit from brewed tea as well as spent 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.

Want to save this which plants like tea leaves article for later?  Save it to your favorite tea-loving Pinterest Board and pass it on!

Tea tree growing, tea leaf harvesting and tea production

Where and how does tea grow?

Tea was discovered in China 5000 years ago. Now, it is one of the most popular drinks on earth. The tea that we brew in our cup is made from the dried leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant (Camellia sinensis), in other words, the tea bush. This is an evergreen tree with small white flowers, sharp green leaves and bitter-tasting fruits. Now tea production is established in almost 40 countries. The largest and most famous tea producers are China, India and Sri Lanka.


The tea tree is grown from seeds or cuttings. It can reach up to 15 meters in height, so for the convenience of collecting it is pruned. By pruning, the plant produces more new shoots, which means more soft leaves, which ultimately produce higher quality infusions. The tea bush loves the sun and moisture, the optimal growing conditions are mountain slopes at an altitude of at least 1500 meters with clean air.


How is tea harvested?

Tea is harvested as many times a year as the natural conditions of the region where the plantations are located allow. The closer to the north, the fewer seasons of collection. Most often it is spring and summer, and for warm countries, where it is always summer, tea is collected both in autumn and in winter. The collection period is called "flash":


"Flash" has another designation - this is the top of the tea shoot, consisting of a pair of fresh leaves and an unopened bud. It is them, juicy, green and young leaves or slightly blossoming ones, that are pulled out from the tea bush and used in the production of high-quality tea.

Tea leaves are harvested both by hand and by machines. Hand picking is a very laborious process and is considered to be something of an art that requires dexterity, skill and special attention. The tea leaf is grasped by the thumb and forefinger and pulled out with a sharp movement, not only of the hand, but also of the shoulder. The quality of the tea leaf is much higher when picked by hand, as the pickers take only the leaves of the upper shoot, while skipping the leaves that are defective or dirty. Hand-picked raw materials are used for elite premium teas. Tea raw materials that were collected by tea harvesters are of lower quality, most often they go to the production of small-leaf tea bags.


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How and why to water flowers with tea? The benefits of tea leaves for plants

Tue, 09/01/2018 - 12:37 | Comments: 4 | Author: OLCHUKS

Many flower growers know about watering indoor plants with tea. Welding is often used as an organic fertilizer, but much more useful substances are contained in liquid form, so it is considered more useful to water it with tea leaves. This method has many supporters and opponents. Some believe that such top dressing will not bring much benefit, others - that if used correctly, the effect will be amazing.

Contents:

The composition and benefits of tea brewing

Tea has long been considered a healthy drink, but it must be used in doses and brewed correctly in order for it to be beneficial. This also applies to indoor plants.

Microelements contained in tea leaves will help the flower to grow, bloom and bear fruit better. Flower growers believe that watering flowers with tea is necessary as a regular top dressing. But keep in mind that not all flowers and not in every period of growth need top dressing.

First you need to determine the needs of the plant and the level of soil acidity, as the tannins contained in tea reduce the level of acidity.

Tea contains the following substances useful for plants:

Tea also contains other trace elements, but they are few, so the effect will not be too noticeable for the plant. Also, a useful property of tea leaves is the reduction of aluminum levels, which slows down plant growth and negatively affects yields.

Also, tea leaves can be used in dry form for fertilization, soil mulching, and drainage. Welded mulch allows moisture to stay in the soil longer, so the plant will not require frequent watering.

Features and rules of use

In order for tea leaves to bring benefits, not harm, you need to use it correctly. Tea cannot be considered harmless, as it contains not only useful substances. The danger lies in both overdose and misuse of this fertilizer.

When using tea leaves, the following rules must be observed:

  1. Tea must be pure, that is, without flavorings and flavorings. They will only harm the plant.
  2. The choice of tea is determined by the needs of the plant. You can use green, black or herbal tea, as long as it is not strong.
  3. Sugar does not need to be added to tea leaves. Although it is believed that this is useful, however, sugar leads to the formation of fungus and mold, attracts various insects. Also, the root system can die from sweet tea.
  4. You can use dormant tea, but it must be fresh, that is, there should be no smell or mold on it.
  5. Tea is not water; you cannot water plants with it every day. Such top dressing is carried out either once a week, or only when the plant is transplanted.
  6. To prevent mold or bugs in the flower pot, the tea leaves can be used dry. The amount of useful substances in it is less, but the likelihood of harming the flower is also reduced.
  7. If tea leaves are used as mulch, they should be covered lightly with soil. First, the soil is loosened, tea leaves are applied, and the top is sprinkled again with soil. Do not leave tea leaves on the surface, as bugs and midges will start in it.
  8. Tea can be used warm or at room temperature. Boiling tea can kill the plant. The best option is tea, the temperature of which is 30-40 degrees.

It is worth remembering that tea leaves as a fertilizer are not useful for all plants. Flower growers believe that cacti and ferns respond best to such top dressing.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

Fertilization and watering by tea leaves have both advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage of this method is its accessibility. Welding is in every home and it is quite simple to use it. There is no need to look for special fertilizers and breed them in a special way. At the same time, the benefits of tea brewing have long been known.

The following facts are also mentioned among the advantages of this method: