Tea For Your Garden
Soil is the most important part of a healthy and productive garden. Most of us don't start out with perfect soil and even once you have got your soil up to perfection it will eventually be depleted of nutrients and organic matter within a few years. The best way to improve or maintain the quality of your soil is to regularly replenish it. Unfortunately that can become very expensive.
Lucky for you that delicious cup of tea also doubles as an amazing soil enhancers. You may already be putting your left over tea leaves into your compost however did you know that you can skip this step and add them straight into your garden soil for faster benefits. Just remember don't throw them away.
Plants that love acidic soil conditions with a lower pH level, like tomatoes and roses will love the addition of your used tea leaves in their soil. Just remember the lower the pH the more acidic the additive. It's the tannic acid in tea that causes this acidity. Tea leaves also contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) the three most important nutrients to add to your garden.
Just as not all teas taste the same not all teas are the same in the garden. Black tea has a lower pH level than green tea so make sure you use the right tea for the right plant.
Don't stop with the outside you can get the same amazing experience inside by adding tea leaves to your acidity loving indoor plants as well. Add your used leaves to the soil in your pots. As an added benefit the leaves will act as a sponge within the soil and help to hold water.
Higher quality leaves make higher quality tea but they also produce a higher quality additive for your soil. Longer leaves produce a loamier style of soil providing more air within the soil and making for great growing conditions for plants and reducing the rate at which water drains through your soil. That slower water flow rate means that less nutrients are lost to run off and less water is needed to keep your plants happy.
So remember to reuse your leaves, your garden will thank you.