We asked a garden Pro if you can use tea bags in your garden – and their answers surprised us

Your morning cup tea can do double duty as DIY fertilizer for your plants. After brooing, the tea bags spent are ideal to connect with you FertilizerBut even if you do not have your own compost bin, you can save your used tea leaves and put them to work to feed your garden plants.

Expert advice here is how to do it – as well as what to use to use tea bags in the garden and for the best practices.

Can you use tea bags in your garden?

Orchard Assistant Dialon Scolon with Bennett Compost in Philadelphia says that dialing scolus says that tea bags can be beneficial for your garden by some different ways.

“Overall, any addition of organic matter for soil is good for soil health,” says scolus. “Organic matter feeds the soil community and increases both water and nutrient retention.”

Tea leaves are ideal materials for your manure bin or pile, but it is okay to add small amounts to the garden soil directly. Tea leaves and other types of organic substances break up, they release Macronutrients Along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – all plants need to grow like micronutrients such as calcium and magnesium.

Adding tea leaves to your garden soil can lead to planting those nutrients as they become available during the decomposition process.

The sculpture notes that in addition to serving as a light fertilizer, tea leaves used Acidic soil,

“Passed tea, which is high in tannic acid, can reduce the pH of soil, making it more acidic. The decomposition process also makes the soil more acidic,” they say. “Looking at a large garden, this effect is likely to be diluted, but the targeted applications of the tea used to have acid-affected plants such as blueberries, rhododendrone and azles, HydrangeasAnd citrus can be effective. ,

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When not to use tea bags in the garden

Before you throw your spent tea bag into your garden or manure pile, make sure you are using only biodegradable materials.

“Many tea bags are made of plastic lattice,” says scolus. “Both nets, if plastic, and staples that keep that bag together, should be removed before adding tea to soil or manure. There is a good rule of the thumb. If you cannot rip the bag, do not put it in a pile of manure.”

The string taging on your tea bag is also likely to be from plastic, so it is a good idea to keep it out of your garden or manure.

Tips to use tea in your garden

• Instead of spraying the tea leaves in the soil. If you choose to add tea leaves directly to your garden, instead of spraying them on top, it is best to mix them in a few inches of soil on top of the top, where they can be blowing with air, before they disintegrate and give a chance to add nutrients.
• Composting helps, but it is not necessary. “There is no need to make manure before adding tea bags to the garden,” is called sculpture. “The tea and bags spent, if made of organic materials, will decay in the soil and will turn into forms of nutrients available for plants and other soil organisms.”
• A little goes a long way. Over time, it is best to add small amounts of tea leaves to your garden to avoid changing the earthen pH. While many popular garden plants thrive with slightly acidic soils, not all plants like it. If you are worried about your soil nutrient profile or pH, it is best to conduct an operation Soil testing Before adding amendment.
• Tea leaves with compost or any other fertilizer. While tea bags can help add nutrients to your soil and are an excellent candidate for your fertilizer pile, it is best not to rely on them for nutritional needs of your garden. Apply finished compost, Slow fertilizerOr dilute the liquid fertilizer in your garden according to the package directions to grow your plants properly, grow flowers and fruits.