"Jeff Layman" wrote

Emery Davis wrote:
We're wondering if there's any benefit to this. We have a teasmade which
the wife prepares with a typhoo tea bag for the morning cuppa. The bag
goes in the compost, but there's always a little strong tea left in the
bottom of the pot. The other day I observed her throwing this into the
front garden, assuming (like coffee grounds which we throw in directly
sometimes) it would be of some benefit.

What's the assembled wisdom? Should old tea be poured directly into the
garden?



Good for ericaceous plants in pots. After all, it's just Camellia sinensis
leaves. And black tea leaves are partially fermented anyway, so they are
part way to being composted (some tea I've had would lead me to the
conclusion that they have been fully composted...).

The pH of tea is on the acid side, according to various sources - anything
from 4.9 to over 6, but it would probably depend on the pH of the water
used to make the tea.

If you had even been to a tea plantation where they make the leaves into
what we use you might understand why they smell as if composted, it's a
disgusting smell, like an over wet compost heap.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK