Here’s Why You Should Bury Steeped Tea Bags Along With Seeds in Your Garden

A garden thrives not by the kind of plants and trees it bears, but by the quality of its soil. Gardeners try to keep the soil healthy as their first step towards growing a plant, working from the bottom way up. Even though there are overflowing markets selling all kinds of fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, nothing beats a natural and organic alternative. Hence, gardening enthusiasts look for greener solutions that may enrich their soil with nutrients and also repel insects and pests from their gardens. Tea bags are an effective way to mitigate a majority of issues arising out of the garden or lawn, from deterring pests to facilitating the growth of new seedlings, per a report by Greater Good. 

One need not waste their fresh tea bags out of the pack and may simply reuse the stepped tea bags to grow new plants. They are usually made of fine tea leaves, also called tea “dust” that are low-quality tea easily available after the major parts of the leaves are sold as loose-leaf tea, per Artful Tea. Teabags work when immersed in hot water that allows the nutrients and flavor to ooze out of the filter paper that contains it. Now, these are ideal for seed germination and growth because tea bags act as a source of food for the seedlings and also help in water retention. As a result, steeped tea bags can be used as a sustainable form of natural fertilizers that influence the growth of seedlings into healthy plants. 

Tea bags usually find their way into the trash but there are several ways to recycle them sustainably to enrich backyard gardens and lawns. However, it is recommended that the plastic tag attached to the bags be removed before adding them to the soil. Natural Ways explained that tea leaves tannic acid and nutrients which act as “natural fertilizers for a garden.” Upon decomposition of the tea bag, the residual leaves release good toxins into the soil that nurture the saplings. The water-retention capacity of tea bags allows gardeners to plant them next to plant roots. Also, a kind of weak tea can be brewed to add to the plants as a natural liquid fertilizer. 

Used tea bags can be used in combination with coffee grounds to act as a natural pesticide. It deters the pesty creatures in your garden to refrain from chomping on your precious plants. According to the report, the natural aroma of tea prevents mice, spiders, bugs, and cats from feeding on the plants and destroying your garden. It also discourages the growth of weeds and fights fungal growth. Black tea and chamomile tea are especially fruitful in the latter purpose of usage. Brewing a weak tea and spraying it on leaves helps prevent fungus regardless of their indoor or outdoor settings. Tea bags contain acid that facilitates the breakdown of organic compounds into nutrients and add compost to the soil.

Besides that, tea bags provide nutrition to a farmer’s best friend– earthworms. A garden’s most prized possession, these wormy creatures are a sign of a healthy garden and make the soil fertile with their little tunnels that allow roots to breathe and take up water. Above all, reusing tea bags in your garden is a great way to sustainably discard the used material and reduce wastage.