Using Tea Bags in Gardens – Tips for Recycling Tea Bags

Using tea bags in gardens is an easy way to recycle something you would normally throw away. Used tea bags offer benefits for both your plants and soil.

Tea bags help enrich the soil, support composting, and can even be used to make homemade fertilizers. Using them in the garden can improve your plants and help protect the environment at the same time.

Keep reading to find practical uses for tea bags in the garden. Try a few of these tips to see just how useful a used tea bag can be.

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9 ways to recycle used tea bags for plants

Don’t throw away your used tea bags! The 9 ideas for recycling tea bags below are all low-effort ways to cut waste and turn trash into a useful resource for your garden.

Enrich your soil with tea bags

Used tea bags improve garden soil by adding nitrogen and organic matter.

When you bury them near plants, the tea leaves break down and feed beneficial microbes. These microbes help improve soil structure and boost plant health.

Before adding tea bags to your soil, remove any staples, tags, or plastic parts.

Many commercial tea bags have synthetic fibers that don’t break down easily. Look for biodegradable tea bags or empty the tea leaves out if you’re unsure.

Tea bags benefit earthworms

Earthworms love organic material, including used tea bags. When you bury tea bags in the soil, you give earthworms a food source that keeps them active and healthy.

In return, earthworms aerate the soil and leave behind castings that provide nutrients.

Supporting earthworm activity improves the health of your garden soil naturally. Tea bags help make that happen with no extra cost or effort.

Using tea bags to control garden pests

Some gardeners add used tea bags around plants such as hostas to help repel pests like slugs, aphids, or ants. The tannins and slight acidity in the tea can deter these insects when tea bags are sprinkled or buried near plants.

Note that tea bags won’t control pest populations on their own. Use them in conjunction with other natural pest management methods for best results.

Using tea bags in compost

Composting tea bags is an easy way to reduce waste. The tea leaves add nitrogen to your compost, balancing the carbon from dry materials like leaves or straw.

Used tea bags also help retain moisture in the compost pile, which supports faster decomposition.

Always check the material of your tea bag before composting it. If it’s made of plastic or contains staples, remove those parts first. Plastic and staples aren’t biodegradable, so they would end up left behind in your compost.

Use tea bags for trench composting

If you don’t have a large compost pile, trench composting is a great alternative. Dig a small hole or trench near your plants and bury used tea bags directly in the ground. As the tea breaks down, it will release nutrients into the surrounding soil.

This method works well for vegetable gardens, flower beds, and container plants. It is especially useful if you drink tea daily and have a steady supply of used bags.

Just make sure you bury them deep enough that garden critters won’t dig them up.

Used tea bags to make a plant fertilizer

You can also use tea bags to make a natural garden fertilizer called “weed tea”. Place a used tea bag in a bucket of water along with some garden weeds.

Let the mixture steep until the water changes color. Strain it to remove any seeds, then use the liquid to water your plants.

This simple fertilizer gives your plants a mild nutrient boost. The tea and garden weed mixture provides a natural alternative to store-bought plant food.

Use tea bags to start seeds

Used tea bags hold moisture well, making them a handy tool for starting seeds. You can place damp tea bags in seed trays or small containers and tuck a seed inside each one.

The tea bag acts like a tiny sponge, keeping the seed moist and encouraging germination. As the seedling grows, you can transplant it with the tea bag still attached into seed-starting soil, letting the tea bag break down naturally.

This method works best for small seeds or herbs. It’s a simple way to give seeds a healthy, moist start without using special seed-starting products.

Tea bags for plants that like acidic soil

Some plants, like hydrangeas, azaleas, blueberries, and rhododendrons, thrive in slightly acidic soil. Used tea bags can help lower soil pH just enough to create a better environment for these acid-loving plants.

Burying tea bags around the base of these plants slowly releases mild acidity as the tea breaks down. While the effect isn’t dramatic, it can gently support healthy growth over time.

For best results, use this method as a supplement, not a substitute for proper soil amendments. Always check your soil pH if you’re growing plants that need specific conditions.

Tea bags for cleaning plant leaves

In addition to using tea bags in gardens, you can also use tea bags to improve the health of your indoor plants.

Gently wipe the leaves of your houseplants with a damp tea bag to remove dust on their leaves without using harsh chemicals. Dust blocks light, slowing the plant’s ability to absorb sunlight and grow.

This method works well on smooth, broad leaves like arrowhead plants, calla lilies, or dieffenbachias.

Tea bags won’t feed the plant, but keeping the leaves clean will help them stay healthy. Always test on one leaf first to make sure the tea bag doesn’t cause spotting.

Tea bags in the garden printable

Recycling used tea bags in the garden is a simple, effective way to cut waste and help your plants thrive. Whether you compost them, bury them in the soil, or turn them into fertilizer, you will be re-using something you might ordinarily have thrown away.

If you’d like a reminder of these ideas for using tea bags in gardens, you can print out this high-resolution image. You can also get it from the project card at the bottom of the post in a slightly smaller size.

Share this post about using tea bags in gardens on X

If your gardening friends are wondering what to do with used tea bags in the garden, why not share this article with them? Here is a post to get you started:

Pin these gardening tips for recycling tea bags

Would you like a reminder of this post for using tea bags in the garden? Just pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

You can also watch this YouTube slideshow video showing ways to protect the environment at home!

Admin note: This post about how to use used tea bags in the garden first appeared on the blog in April 2013. The post has been updated with all new photos, a garden printable, and a video for you to enjoy.

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Yield: 1 recycling tea bags printable

9 Ideas for Using Tea Bags in Gardens

Print

Don't throw those used tea bags away! Recycle them in the garden.

Used tea bags enrich the soil, support composting, and can be used to make a plant fertilizer.

Print this list of 9 ways of using tea bags in the garden for later.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Difficulty easy

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

• Printer paper

Tools

• Computer
• Printer

Instructions

1. Load your computer paper into your printer.
2. Using the print function on this card will give you a list of ways to use tea bags in gardens that fills about 3/4 of an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of paper.
3. Choose portrait layout and, if possible, "fit to page" in your settings. Doing this will fill the entire page.
4. Alternatively, you can use this link to print the list of tea bag uses as a high-resolution image, using the print feature in your browser window..
5. Please note: Free gardening printables take a long time to make. This list of tea bag uses in gardens is for personal use only. If you are sharing this list (and thank you for that!), please link directly to this post and not to the actual image. We appreciate your help in supporting the site. This gardening printable may not be used for any retail purpose or mass distribution.

Notes

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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  Electric Composter for Countertop, Odorless | Turn Food Waste into Fertilizer in 3 Hrs

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