Decomposition study using tea bags

Large amounts of plant biomass are degraded back to their basic mineral components in the soil. To investigate how fast and complete this degradation occurs, there is a simple method. Green tea decomposes fast in the soil, rooibos tea is more difficult to degrade. Comparing the degradation of these two tea types allows the calculation of the tea bag index. This provides information on the capability of the soil to transform organic residues into nutrients for plants and to build soil humus. The technique is simple to use. Bury tea bags of those 2 tea types and leave them in the soil for 3 months to see ow much is left. During this time, the hardworking little helpers in the soil will release nutrients from the tea to feed the nitrogen-fixing root nodules of a new generation of plants.