Are Teabags Good for Houseplants? (Solved & Explained!)

A sustainable lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive! You can always get creative and use objects lying around your house. For example: using teabags as fertilizers for houseplants. You might be wondering, are teabags actually good for houseplants?

Used teabags and brewed tea have a number of nutrients to offer to houseplants, especially tannic acid which is ideal for acid-loving plants such as ferns, jade plants etc. Teabags can help not only fertilize houseplants but also provide other benefits such as trapping moisture within the soil and preventing the growth of harmful fungi.

How you use the teabags and the kind of houseplants they’re used on also goes a long way in determining the extent to which they will nourish the soil. The article will provide pointers on using teabags as fertilizers properly and give guidelines to help you avoid mistakes in this process.

4 Ways Teabags Help Nourish Houseplants

The fact that teabags can be multifunctional and be used after their intended purpose makes them a brilliant part of a sustainable gardening routine. Below are some of the ways they benefit houseplants:

Providing Essential Nutrients to the Soil

Teabags contain a number of healthy nutrients that plants require, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. They serve as great organic fertilizers in a pinch, and don’t have any major side effects.

That being said, you must take into account the kind of plants you’re fertilizing using teabags. Since tea naturally contains tannic acid, avoid using teabags on plants that prefer alkaline soil such as aloe vera, oxalis, geranium etc. Limit these DIY fertilizers to the more acid-loving plants such as amaryllis, Christmas cactus, jade plants and so on.

Helping the Soil Retain Moisture

Teabags and loose leaves nourish the soil in multiple ways. They not only promote plant growth as the teabag decomposes, they also assist in trapping moisture within the soil, keeping it hydrated for a long time. This especially helps when you have to be away from home for a while and need your houseplants to stay healthy and moisturized till you return.

By providing moisture, teabags also help in promoting earthworms and creating an environment with adequate levels of oxygen for plant growth.

Fighting Harmful Fungi and Preventing Weeds

Teabags provide naturally occurring nutrients to houseplants which makes them repellant against harmful fungi and weed growth. You’ll notice fewer weeds on the surface of your houseplants after few weeks of regularly using teabags as fertilizers.

Not all kinds of teabags have anti-fungal properties, though. Chamomile tea and black tea are some of the common teas used by gardeners as organic fungicides. Both of these contain good amounts of sulfer which has been used over centuries to prevent fungal diseases in plants.

Acting as a Natural Pesticide

Synthetic pesticides, while helpful for killing pests, contain several harmful chemicals which deteriorate plant health in the longer run. You can safely use teabags as natural pesticides, however, as the contain a smell which repels garden pests such as mice, spiders and ants.

To make the most out of them, place them in areas most affected by garden pests. You’ll observe fewer pests within a couple of days. Don’t be afraid to go a step further – you can even add 5-6 drops of peppermint oil to the teabags which will create an even more effective pesticide without any chemical intervention.

How to Fertilize Houseplants Using Teabags?

There are two ways to go about this, depending on the kind of materials the teabags you’re using are made of. Let’s explore both below:

Teabags Made of Polyester or Polypropylene

With teabags made of polyester or polypropylene, you want to avoid placing them directly on the soil since both of these are plastic materials which would have a hard time decomposing. Instead, you can remove the loose leaves from the bag and then add them to the soil, making a natural and low-cost compost at the end.

Teabags Made of Paper and Other Natural Materials

Teabags made of natural and biodegradable materials such as paper can be worked into the soil directly, without having to separate the leaves from the bags. Just make sure you remove the stamping and labels off the bags, if any.

If you do separate the leaves from the bags, you can sprinkle them on top of the soil if you don’t want to work them into the soil. Both ways are equally effective.

Should You Compost Tea Leaves Before Adding Them to the Soil?

One of the important steps to ensure your teabag fertilizers work is to compost the tea leaves prior to adding them to the soil. Composting enhances the nutritious properties of the tea leaves and also reduces caffeine content to minimize the issue of unhealthy levels of acidity in plants.

Unused tea leaves, which haven’t been composted, may contain a high level of caffeine which might lower pH levels and stunt the overall growth of your houseplants. Most gardeners recommend composting tea leaves since it speeds up the fermentation process and helps release healthy nutrients.

There are some exceptions, though, as caffeine tends to promote nutrients in certain acid-loving plants such as blueberries and azaleas.

Which Kind of Tea is Good for Your Houseplants?

The kind of tea you should use for your houseplants depends on the ingredients and properties it contains. Green tea, for example, contains antioxidant properties and a low caffeine content, so it’s suitable for a wide variety of plants.

Other types such as black tea must be limited to acid-loving plants only as they contain higher amounts of caffeine. Similarly, chamomile tea contains natural antifungal ingredients, making it an organic pesticide without posing the risk of high acidity. You can even add it in a spray bottle and selectively spray it on plants which are more prone to pests.

Conclusion

Teabags serve not only the purpose of helping you make delectable tea, but of also being a natural fertilizer providing just the necessary nutrients to your houseplants. Just by making sure to use teabags constructed of non-toxic materials and on the right kinds of plants, you’ll be good to go!