We're well into the summer months now, and since we’ve been blessed with some warmer weather in the UK, it’s no surprise that Brits have started improving their gardens after winter.

While you’ll probably know what you need to do to get your garden looking fresh again, there’s a cheap hack that you might not be aware of.

Chris Ware, a gardening expert at Climbing Wild Gardeners, has shared a 90p hack that helps grass grow healthily and means you can avoid using chemical fertilisers.

What's more, the trick will also keep slugs, snails, cats and foxes away from your plants.

Used tea bags don't have to go in the bin, you can use them in your garden insteadUsed tea bags don't have to go in the bin, you can use them in your garden instead (Image: Getty)

Expert shares 90p tea hack to help improve your garden

If you're a tea drinker, you'll know how many tea bags you get through in a day but you shouldn't be throwing them away.

Instead, save them for your garden and start seeing the benefits.

Chris at Climbing Wild Gardeners explained: “Tea bags contain beneficial compounds that improve soil structure, retain moisture, and provide plants with essential nutrients.”

How to boost lawn growth with tea bags

Tea bags are particularly beneficial for lawns, providing a natural and cost-effective alternative to chemical fertilisers.

“Burying used tea bags just beneath the soil's surface helps retain moisture and supports healthy root growth,” Chris advises.

He added: “They also help reduce fungal infections, leading to a greener and healthier lawn.”

Country Living shared the ways tea bags can benefit your garden: “Tea bags double as handy fertilisers, providing nitrogen, tannic acid, and other components that help make a healthy growing environment.

“When tea leaves begin to break down and decompose, they release nutrients into the soil.”

However, it warned that tea bags containing plastic shouldn't be used in your garden.

Speaking to Country Living, Hannah Rowson, from J.Parker's, said: “It's recommended that any product containing plastic shouldn't be composted. They can be reduced down into microplastics, which we don't want in our soils, as it can hinder the growth of your plants.”

She added: “If you want to make the most of your plastic-containing tea bags, you can cut them open and use the tea leaves on the soil of your plants - it helps improve the oxygenation of the soil.”


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Chris highlights banana peels as another excellent natural fertiliser: “Banana peels are rich in potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, which support plant growth and fruit production.”

“Chopping them up and burying them near plant roots boosts resilience and overall health.”

Another simple trick is to use the water left over from boiling vegetables. “This water is packed with nutrients,” Chris explains.

“Once cooled, it can be poured onto plants to provide an extra mineral boost.”

Tesco sells a Stockwell box of 80 tea bags for 90p, making this an affordable way to improve your garden's condition.

Keep pests away with tea bags

If you're adding new flowers and plants to your garden, the last thing you'll want is for them to be eaten by slugs and snails, but tea bags can help you with this too.

Aside from promoting plant growth, tea bags can deter unwanted garden visitors.



“The strong scent of tea is unappealing to slugs and snails, making it an effective deterrent," Chris explains.

“Simply placing used tea bags around flower beds and vegetable patches can help keep these pests away.”

The smell can also discourage cats and foxes from digging up gardens. Chris suggests covering the tea bags with a light sprinkling of soil to disguise them while benefiting from their repellent properties.


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By repurposing everyday kitchen waste, gardeners can nourish their plants, strengthen their lawns and keep pests at bay, all while saving money.

“These simple, natural solutions are not only effective but also environmentally friendly,” Chris concludes.

“For just pennies, you can transform your garden and keep it looking its best.”