Using Tea Grounds to Boost Your Plants’ Health

Tea is beloved around the world for its refreshing flavor and energizing caffeine boost. But did you know that used tea grounds also have benefits for your garden and houseplants?

Tea grounds are chock-full of nutrients and compounds that can improve soil health, stimulate plant growth, and even help repel pests. Adding spent tea leaves and grounds to your garden is an easy, natural way to recycle this kitchen “waste” into plant food.

In this article, we’ll explore the top reasons you should be using tea grounds in your garden, along with tips on how to use them safely and effectively. Let’s dive in!

Why Tea Grounds Are Great for Plants

Tea leaves and grounds provide a variety of nutrients and beneficial substances for plants and soil, Here are some of the top benefits

Nutrients

Used tea leaves contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are macronutrients essential for healthy plant growth The tannins and lignin in tea also break down into beneficial soil compounds

Composting tea bags or mixing grounds into your garden soil gives plants a gentle nutrient boost without risking burn from synthetic fertilizers. Over-brewed tea can provide higher concentrations for extra plant food.

Organic Matter

Like other compost ingredients, spent tea leaves add valuable organic material to nourish soil life and structure. The extra organic matter helps retain moisture and improves drainage in clay soils.

As tea grounds break down, they support beneficial fungi and bacteria in the soil. This microbiome is critical for releasing nutrients that plant roots can absorb.

Acidification

Tea contains tannins, which lower pH when released into the soil. Many plants, including azaleas, blueberries, and roses, prefer slightly acidic soil in the 5.5 to 6.5 pH range.

Scattering used grounds around these acid-loving plants provides a natural pH adjustment. It’s gentler than applying sulfur or chemical amendments.

Pest Deterrent

There’s some evidence that spraying plants with cooled tea may help deter certain soft-bodied insects and fungal diseases. The tannins and other plant compounds in tea may make leaves less appetizing to pests.

Sprinkling dry tea grounds around plant bases may also help repel cats, mice, and other digging critters. The tea scent masks attractive plant odors and feels unpleasant on paws.

How to Use Tea in Your Garden

Used tea bags and grounds can be applied in many different ways to harness their plant-nourishing goodness. Here are some simple, effective techniques:

Mix Into Soil

For new garden beds or container plants, mix a handful of tea grounds into the soil before planting. This provides a nutrient boost as the grounds decompose. You can also dig used bags or grounds into soil around established plants.

Mixing them into compost is ideal, as the grounds will break down fully before being applied. Don’t overload your compost pile with tea, though, as it can throw off the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.

Top Dressing

Sprinkling dry tea grounds directly on the soil around plants is called top dressing. This method provides a slow-release fertilizer as rain water dissolves the nutrients. Focus on acid-loving plants and avoid piling on thick layers.

Liquid Plant Food

Using brewed tea as a foliar spray or soil drench gives plants an immediate nutrient boost. Allow tea to cool fully before applying. Dilute strong brews with water to avoid burning leaves.

Soak old tea bags in water to make “compost tea” full of beneficial microbes and soluble nutrients from the grounds. Use this tea within a day or two to avoid it going anaerobic.

Mulch

Mixing tea grounds into mulch helps bulk it up and infuse it with nutrients. You can also spread a thin layer of dry grounds between mulch and soil to create a nutrient-rich barrier. Coffee grounds work great for this too.

For container plants, a sprinkle of tea grounds in the drip tray can provide a slow feed. Rinse the tray regularly to avoid mold.

Choosing the Right Tea for Plants

Not all teas are created equal when it comes to plant nutrition. Here are some types that make excellent fertilizer:

• Black tea: Provides more nutrients since leaves are fully oxidized. English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and chai work well.

• Green tea: Lower in nutrients than black tea but still beneficial. Great for acidic soils.

• Herbal teas: Contain lots of plant-derived compounds. Chamomile, mint, and rooibos are good options.

• Oolong tea: Partially oxidized leaves offer balanced nutrition. Gives soil a moderate acidity boost.

Avoid using teas with added flavors, which may contain oils and substances hard for soil microbes to break down. Stick to plain, organic teas when possible.

Best Plants for Fertilizing with Tea

While all plants can benefit from the organic matter in tea grounds, some are particularly well suited for this natural fertilizer. Good options include:

• Acid-lovers: Blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, hydrangeas.

• Vegetable crops: Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, onions, brassicas.

• Herbs: Rosemary, lavender, mints, sage, thyme.

• Flowers: Roses, marigolds, zinnias, daisies, dianthus.

• Trees and shrubs: Citrus trees, magnolias, gardenias, hibiscus, jasmine.

Go light on tea grounds with plants that prefer neutral or alkaline soil, like petunias, impatiens, and beans. Monitor soil pH if uncertain.

Troubleshooting Tea as a Fertilizer

Using tea sustainably comes with a small learning curve. Here are some potential issues and how to avoid them:

• Yellowing leaves may indicate too much nitrogen from excess tea. Flush soil with water to dilute.

• Burnt leaf tips or brown spots could mean high tannin levels. Cut back on tea or switch to herbals.

• Clumpy, muddy soil or stunted roots can result from over-application. Let soil dry out before resuming fertilizing.

• White mold on soil surface signals anaerobic conditions. Loosen and aerate soil, cut back on fresh grounds.

• Bugs congregating in tea mulch likely indicates excess nitrogen. Remove mulch and spread out fresh grounds thinly.

Start small when trying tea as a fertilizer, and watch plant health closely for a few weeks when applying to new species. Proper dosage may take some adjustment.

Make the Most of Your Cuppa

As you can see, there are so many ways to make those discarded tea bags and scoops of grounds into plant superfood instead of waste. Tea fertilizing helps your garden and houseplants thrive while keeping kitchen scraps out of crowded landfills.

Next time you brew a batch of therapeutic tea, pause before chucking those leaves in the trash. Your plants will thank you for redirecting that organic matter their way.

So brew up another cup, then go ahead and douse your daisies with the dregs. Your garden will positively bloom with this eco-friendly fertilizer flowing.