Green Tea as Plant Fertilizer vs. Phosphorus Nitrogen

Building Blocks of Growth

• Phosphorous and nitrogen are crucial nutrients for plant growth. Phosphorous enables plant development by helping beneficial bacterium called Rhizobium to convert unusable atmospheric nitrogen into an ammonium form of nitrogen that the plant can use. The plant takes up this useable nitrogen through its roots and converts it into organic substances such as enzymes, protein and chlorophyll. These substances give the plant its green color and help it grow and produce seeds and fruit.

Chemical Fertilizer Pros and Cons

• Chemical fertilizers offer concentrated quick-release nutrients such as nitrogen, that the plant can readily use. This is beneficial if the plant needs a quick boost of minerals to stimulate growth. However, chemical fertilizers contain only a few nutrients for your plants. Overusing commercial fertilizers can also cause runoff that contributes to nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. Phosphates and nitrogen runoff can accumulate in low-lying areas and bodies of water, promoting excessive growth of algae. When this algae dies and decomposes, oxygen levels in the water are depleted, creating dead zones that are uninhabitable to fish or water plant life.

The Organic Fertilizer Advantage

• Organic fertilizers such as used tea leaves, compost, manure, eggshells or dolomite contain a wide variety of nutrients. These nutrients are slow-release, needing time to break down. However, they promote beneficial soil bacterium and fungi, adding to the structure of the soil, improving water flow and decreasing problems such as soil crusting. Organic fertilizers can be more expensive if purchased, but they offer many benefits. Alternatively, a more cost effective organic compost can often be made out of ordinary household waste.

Green Tea as an Organic Fertilizer

• Green tea contains a multitude of organic substances and nutrients, including potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium and nitrogen, as well as many vitamins and antioxidants, all of which are useful and readily available to plants. Used tea leaves are mildly acidic and can neutralize basic soil, creating a more acidic soil for plants that need it. Plants can be watered with cool, brewed green tea or the used leaves can be added directly to the soil, where they can act as mulch, as well as a slow-release fertilizer.