What Happens If You Plant Tea Bags? (Solved & Explained!)

If you have an avid interest in gardening and an ever-growing collection of plants, you might be wondering if the tea bag from your daily cup of tea could be used around the garden. The question that arises is—what happens if you plant tea bags?

Planting used tea bags in your garden is actually beneficial for the plants as the tea leaves decompose and provide important nutrients to the soil. Tea leaves also keep weeds, fungus and pests away from your plants.

If you are a tea-lover with a passion for gardening, throwing away used tea bags might be the last thing you want to do. This is because they provide a variety of benefits for plants. Let’s discuss how planting tea bags in the garden can help your plants grow!

What Happens If You Plant Tea Bags?

Planting tea bags in your garden is actually a great idea. This is because tea leaves act as an organic fertilizer and help your fruits and vegetables grow well. Tea leaves contain tannic acid, which lowers the pH of the soil slightly and creates favorable conditions for plants that thrive in an acidic environment.

If you love tea and drink it very frequently, planting tea bags in the soil of your garden will not only cut down on the daily waste but also increase the fertility of your green space. Tea bags, if they are biodegradable, break down to release the tea leaves inside which contain important nitrogen-containing nutrients that will boost the growth of your plants.

Since tea leaves are organic matter (after all they come from plants themselves!) they will decompose easily and provide nutrients to the soil as well as to organisms that aid the growth of plants, such as earthworms.

If you’re not a big fan of tea and instead prefer having a cup of coffee to get your daily caffeine boost, there is good news for you as well. Apart from tea bags, coffee grounds are also great to add to your soil mix or compost pile.

They act in a similar way to tea bags and increase the fertility of the soil.

Are Tea Bags Compostable?

Most tea bags are compostable. This means that you can plant them directly in the soil or put them in the compost pile. But how can you identify for sure whether the tea bag is made from biodegradable material or not?

If the tea bag is made of cloth such as silk or muslin, paper, or plant-based material, you can safely put it in the compost pile. Most tea bag manufacturers do mention if the tea bags are biodegradable or compostable on the packaging so make sure to check that.

However, if your tea bag is coated with or contains plastic like polypropylene it will not decompose. You can still use the tea leaves for compost though—just open the tea bag and remove the leaves. Discard the packaging in the usual way.

Alternatively, you can also brew a weak tea with the used tea bag and water your plants with that or sprinkle it on the soil. This way the plants can still benefit from the nutrients in the tea and you won’t have to worry about the packaging not being compostable!

6 Benefits Of Planting Tea Bags

It’s no secret that planting tea bags in the soil of your garden or potted plants will help your plants thrive. Let’s dive into specifics—here are some of the top benefits of adding tea leaves or tea bags to your soil:

Acts as a fertilizer

Planting tea bags in your garden near your plants can provide nutrients to the soil. Tea bags contain tannic acid and other natural nutrients that are good for plant growth. They also retain moisture and prevent the soil from getting dry.

Good for roots

A lot of gardeners bury them next to plant roots because tea bags hold onto water and create ideal conditions for the roots to thrive. As they decompose they act as a natural fertilizer by releasing nutrients such as nitrogen.

Keeps pests away

Another surprising benefit of planting tea bags in your garden is that they actually prevent pests from coming near your beloved fruits, vegetables or flowers. This is because the odor of tea naturally keeps bugs and pests such as mice and cats away.

Fewer weeds

One of the most annoying things about gardening is getting rid of the weeds that crop up ever so frequently and ruin the look as well as the health of your garden. This is where tea bags come in! Using tea bags or tea leaves around your garden will naturally keep weeds at bay and ensure the optimal growth of your plants.

Gets rid of fungus

Adding brewed tea or leaves of chamomile and black tea can actually help in stopping the growth of harmful fungi on your plants as they have antifungal properties. You can prepare a solution of brewed tea and spray or sprinkle it on your plants to get rid of the fungus.

Reduces waste

Last but not the least, using old tea bags or tea leaves around your garden or in the soil of your potted plant will definitely help in reducing your overall waste and improve your carbon footprint. Throwing away used tea bags is a big waste when they could be planted in your garden or added to your compost pile and benefit your plants immensely.

Conclusion

The main takeaway is that planting tea leaves in your garden can be really beneficial for boosting the growth and health of your plants, keeping pests away, preventing the formation of fungus and weeds, and reducing the waste you produce.

Reusing tea bags around your garden is an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way to provide some essential nutrients to your plants. Tea leaves act as a natural fertilizer and also improve the moisture retention properties of the soil. If used correctly and consistently, you will see some big improvements in your garden!