Use Tea Bags to Give Azaleas the Acid They Love

Written by Amy Gordon (last updated June 13, 2022)

1

The word acid usually has a negative connotation. Speaking of acid brings images of things melting away, which is partially true, since things that are really acidic can burn things away, but most acid is not that strong. Acid, however, is usually not a good thing to have in your garden. Most plants want a more basic soil to help them grow, so you want to get the acid out of the soil.

Azaleas are a very different plant. Azaleas, rather than dying with acid, grow better. They love having very acidic soil, but it can be difficult to raise the acid level in the soil, especially without damaging the other plants in the area. If you are trying to raise azaleas, and want a quick and easy way to add acidity to the soil, you have come to the right place.

One common household item that has just about the amount of acid your azaleas need is tea. Tea is great for a warm drink when you are cold, or need something refreshing when you are feeling a little sick. Unfolded tea bags can also be used for some neat tricks. But something that you have probably never thought to do is put a regular tea bag in the soil. The acidity in the tea bag will seep into the soil and raise the level of acid and make the plants happy.

To raise the acidity in the soil, just take the tea bag and cover it just a little bit with soil. One tea bag should raise the acidity of the soil for about a week. Replace the bag every week to keep the acidity raised high enough to make your azaleas grow. If you need to, you can use two tea bags to raise the acidity level even more.

Author Bio

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon loves keeping things simple, natural, and safe so she can spend more time having fun. Every day she learns new things about making life at home easier and she loves to share it with you! ...

MORE FROM AMY

Make Your Own Window-Washing Liquid

You can make your own window washing liquid with ammonia and water. An even better alternative to Windex is to mix ...

Discover More

Repotting Flowers

When your flowers outgrow their pots, it is time to repot them. There are several signs that you plant needs a new pot, ...

Discover More

Understanding Types of Peppers

Peppers are a great item, but a little difficult to understand. So many peppers exist, but can generally be categorized ...

Discover More
More Gardening Tips

Planting and Growing Lavender

Lavender is a beautiful bush that not only can add some great color to your garden, but also provide some fantastic ...

Discover More

Using Shrubbery for Lawn Accents

While some shrubbery takes the form of sculpture, other shrubs can be used simply as lawn accents for your home. Choose ...

Discover More

Trimming Lilac Bushes

If your lilac bush doesn't flower in the spring, it is probably because you trim it improperly. You should only trim a ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

2018-07-17 01:57:03

Yan Koek

Definitely will use on blueberries great tip but ive heard that honey made from azalea flowers is poisonous with so many flowers out there why use them bees ussualy keep away from azaleas ?


Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Receive an e-mail several times each week with a featured gardening tip. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)