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If you drink tea daily, reconsider tossing out those used tea bags.
Tea leaves contain nutrients beneficial to plants when they break down into compost.
Tea can also function as a pest repellent orfertilizer for your plants.
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Here are four key ways toreuse steeped tea bagsin the garden.
Composting
Throw steeped teain your compostto break down with other kitchen scraps.
Tea is a green compost containing about 4 percent nitrogen and a small amount of potassium and phosphorus.
Just double-check that the bags do not contain plastic or other synthetic materials before doing so.
Tea bags do not break down as quickly as the leaves, even when made solely of organic materials.
The worms leave behind castings that provide readily available nutrients for your plants.
you’re free to also water your plants with weak tea.
Steep your tea bags a second time, allow the tea to cool, and then water.
This isn’t a substitute for high-nitrogen fertilizers, but it can give plants a small boost.
Similar tocoffee grounds, tea can be overused as a fertilizer.
Only sprinkle a thin layer around plants.
Black and green tea are mildly acidifying, while fruity herbal teas can be very acidic.
Use those around plants that appreciate acidic soil, like your azaleas and blueberry bushes.
Caffeine is a natural insecticide, but strong flavors could also boost tea’s pest-repelling power.
Use teas with scents that insects like to avoid, like mint or cinnamon.
