Garden: 11 tips to give your tea bags a second life

When you finish your teas, do you throw your used bags in the garbage can? And yet, they can be very useful for your garden. The filters are often biodegradable, and the tea leaves offer multiple benefits for soil and plants. Here are our 11 tips for recycling your tea bags in the garden.

1 - Easily recycle tea bags and their contents

Don't hesitate to dispose of your tea bags in the garden, as most filters are biodegradable. In fact, many bags are made from plant fibers, notably abaca. As a result, tea bags decompose easily in the soil, without polluting it. However, check the material from which your bag is made before recycling it in the garden. Some bags are still made from plastic. If this is the case, don't hesitate to open the bag and retrieve its contents. You can use only the brewed tea for the next tips.

2 - Recycling tea bags: less waste

At home, every little ecological gesture counts for the health of the planet. By using your tea bags in the garden, you give them a second life and produce less waste. This means they don't end up being burnt with the household garbage, without being recycled. What's more, your old teas help nature by decomposing.

3 - A natural fertilizer for plants

After infusion, tea leaves still contain nutrients, including nitrogen. By burying your tea bags in the garden, you provide a natural fertilizer for plants. Your plants grow faster and stay healthy in the face of climate change and pests.

4 - Insect repellent

Whether at home or in the garden, the scent of brewed tea repels unwanted insects. Placing tea bags in the garden is a good way to protect plants from pests. It's a natural alternative to chemical repellents that weaken the health of your garden and its ecosystem. If you're not a big tea drinker, here are two tips to achieve the same effect against insects.

• A similar effect can be achieved using coffee grounds.
• Leave your old tea bags to macerate in water until the color changes, then water your garden with the resulting infusion.

5 - A scent that repels cats

The smell of tea or coffee doesn't just repel insects. Cats don't like tea bags in the garden. Recycling your tea bags in this way prevents cats from digging in the soil around plants, nibbling leaves or urinating on them. Used tea also protects your potted or indoor plants. So your feline friend doesn't bother your most fragile plants, which can be toxic to him.

6 - Germinate seeds in a tea bag

Here's a simple homemade tip for germinating seeds:

• open your used tea bag;
• place some seeds in the middle;
• in a pot, add fertile soil and then the tea bag containing the seeds;
• cover the seeds with the soil and pack lightly;
• keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate.

Rich in nitrogen and other nutrients, tea leaves make an excellent substrate. Seeds germinate quickly. Plants or flowers grow faster and are more robust.

7 - Using tea bags in compost

Another tip for using your tea bags in the garden: throw them in the compost bin! Teas contain tannic acid. This acid accelerates the decomposition of organic waste. As a result, you get your compost faster.

8 - Feed earthworms for rich soil

Earthworms are great allies in your garden. They aerate the soil by digging galleries. These animals love tea leaves. By burying your tea bags in the garden, you attract and feed them. Earthworm droppings contain many nutrients and enrich the soil - perfect for your plants!

9 - Tips for retaining water in the soil

For the growth and maintenance of certain plants, it's sometimes essential to keep their roots moist. With your used tea bags, this is child's play. Simply bury them at the foot of your plants. The filter and tea leaves retain the water for a long time.

10 - Stimulating flower growth

Tea acts as a fertilizer, stimulating plant growth and flowering. This is particularly true of rose bushes. For beautiful flowers in spring, bury your tea bags under your ornamental plants. No more chemicals to grow delicate-smelling roses.

11 - More tea, fewer weeds

Tired of weeding your vegetable garden? The latest homemade trick is to bury your tea bags in the garden to limit weed growth. Be patient, though, as you won't see results immediately. Make good use of these tips to get the most out of your tea bags in the garden. Looking for a natural, compostable filter for your infusion? Discover our tea bags made from plant fibers.