Yes, tea will work. But fertilizer is very inexpensive and lasts for such a long time that I don't use this. Epsom salts is very good for violets as well. But neither of these gives you control--or allows you to know what you are putting on the plants. With manufactured fertilizer you know the three numbers printed on the label and what each will do for the plant.

Nancy

Good morning! What kind of tea? Herbal, decaf, black, green, white, red? As an avid tea drinker, this idea appeals to me.

Yes, I water my African violets with plain black tea. A man that works in my building said that his mother got this tip from an old friend of hers, whose plants all were enviable.

I use one tea bag of plain black tea - brew an 8 oz cup, let steep, then I add the tea about 1:1 with plain water. Let cool to room temp.
I also reuse my tea bags. After I drink a cup of tea (black or green ) I just rebrew another cup with the same tea bag. Let cool of course and water any acid loving plants - I use it on my citrus plants and Osmanthus. I also use leftover stale coffee (no cream no sugar ;-) well diluted for watering the other greenhouse plants, including orchids.

My office AVs get the dilute tea once a week.

I brought back one trailing violet from the dead with this method. I can't grow AVs at home since I keep my house too cold, and the little greenhouse has too many pests. The little pink trailer was just a stick last summer, then I brought it to the office, and started with just tea, and under a desk lamp to keep it warm. It's quadrupled in size and is in bloom now.

Good Luck!
Maryanne in WMass

Maryanne, you mentioned well diluted stale coffee for orchids. Does it help orchids the same as tea for AVs? Thanks.

lol, this is funny, b/c i thought i was the only one that used tea leaves as a fertilizer, but i guess it is more used than i thought. Yes my plants are alway beautiful and my guests always comment on them. I get most of my tea through a new company who directly ship tea in from india: www.TreysTea.com Other than that i dont use to much fertilizer, just enjoy my cup of tea and then throw my leaves into my flower bed..

Sam

Here is a link that might be useful: Treys tea Link

I can't wait to try this!

Tea is very acid. So be careful. Things may go very well for awhile, then you may start noticing strange things. That's why I don't use tea often. The strength of the tea is not always the same, even the brands used are different so I would not use it alone as my fertilizer. Some fertilizers are less than $3.00 and do a good job and you know what to expect with them.

If you wanted to go organic, with no artificial fertilizer, there are many things you can try like bat guano (poop). But even that can be different depending if the bats are the species that eat insects or eat fruit.

Nancy

Nancy

I think you are talking about worm tea which is obtained when we water the vermiculture. It is the best plant food and can be used as a insecticide.

I've also heard of coffee once in a while, however I can see nothing in either one that could be of any value. Please tell me how I'm wrong?

Truske -

same-o. Coffee is a weak nitrogen fertilizer, especially if you add the grounds to the soil. But as Nancy mentioned - it adds acidity - and we do not need it.

Coffee grounds are good to use on outside plants - mulch + fertilizer combined.

irina