As a self-proclaimed plant enthusiast, the idea of putting trash in plants is frankly appalling.
It’s hard to figure out what to do with leftover milk, coffee, Monster, or any other drink that someone didn’t finish. The journey to the nearest sink is long and arduous. Sure, I was known for throwing the odd cold coffee out the window of Ilvisaker Hall, but at that point I was just an impressionable freshman in my college career. Now, in towers, this is much more difficult to do, especially on the upper floors. This is because of the overwhelming sense of guilt a person may feel if they accidentally wet someone else’s window.
Story was it. I was sitting at my desk thinking about the fallacy of the garbage disposal idea. That’s when I realized I had my own garbage disposal. We dump all used tea bags, tea leaves, and coffee grounds into the plant. . It’s a kind of liminal space, where the tea bags dry before I muster up the courage to open the incredibly moldy compost bin.
This potentially questionable practice is actually rooted in a little science. Coffee grounds are a source of nitrogen for plants, providing them with calcium and magnesium, as well as helping them grow strong green stems and leaves. Tea leaves help absorb and retain soil moisture. Piling tea bags or coffee grounds on an unsuspecting snake plant may obviously not be best practice, but why not try it and see if you can avoid having to go to the nearest sink?
The lesson I took away from this was to not be too quick to judge, a little reminder to keep in mind the forced social interactions with distant third cousins at family holiday gatherings. I think that’s the case.
