Tea Bags

[Penny Lane]

What's the general consensus on putting tea bags in the composter?
Do I have to stop putting milk in before taking the tea bag out when I have a cuppa, or is a bit of milk in the bag ok?

[Annpan]

Oh, I just bung em all in - certainly the bags I use are papery and break down fine... and milk goes in mine too, and anything else that was once living or came from a living thing.

[Marc]

I've not found milk to be any problem at all - if I get a bottle that's going off then I just tip it in, never noticed any prob. If you have lots of Rats around then I guess it could attract them, but my composter is fairly rat-proof anyway which the way I like it.
It's a 50 gallon plastic barrel with the bottom cut off and it makes lovely compost if you're carefull not to put too much soggy stuff in.

[Rosendula]

I hope you don't mind me adding a bit to your question, but I was about to ask something similar.

When we put egg shells in the compost there's always a little bit of egg in it. So I guess I'm right in assuming it's OK to put in food that is made of plants and eggs - eg pasta dough that I've scraped off the table after making it. I'm wondering if people agree?

Then I started wondering about milk, with it being a product that comes from a herbivore. So if I make scones, for example, using flour and milk, am I right in thinking the crumbs can go in the compost.? I have been putting in tea bags that had the milk added first and have not had any problems so far.

Milk is an alkaline, so surely it would be a pretty good neutraliser for the soil?

[Annpan]

I wouldn't worry about it Rosey... I bung everything in my compost (except bones, which get burned on the woodburner)

But, we don't get rats here (sheepdog on one side, jack russel on the other, and we have a mean hunter of a cat)

[Ellendra]

If you were dumping 20 gallons of milk in every day, it might cause a problem, but small amounts don't worry about. Its all bio-matter.

[Millymollymandy]

I don't put tea bags in the compost any more because the bags never break down and I got sick of picking little bags out of my flower beds.

[Penny Lane]

Thanks everyone (& for your added question Rosey),

I'll dump them in then but split them open

[Purdy Bear]

I have heard if your going to use teabags for plants then its better not to have milk on them, but I havent tested that.

Tea leaves can be scattered round plant pots like a furtilser, also cold tea (without milk) can be put on them as well (NB old fish tank water is good too).

Tea bags can be used for:

Cold on the eyes like you would cucumber for itch eyes and tired eyes.

Cold on teeth to stop tooth ache (its the Tannine).

Iv also heard they are good for insect bites.

We have a pretty good council for recycling stuff, and we put everthing like egg shells, fish bones, teabags, etc in our pot and then it goes into the bin. Sadly, our garden is so small we cant fit a compost bin in.

[eccles]

Heres what i do with my used teabags i sprinkle eucalyptus oil on em and lay a few round the soil to keep cats off and the rest i thrown under my azaleas or camillias with the crushed eggshells

[wolfsong]

Wow Purdey Bear, those sound quite neat tricks...
The mother hates me putting my teabags in the compost (they drink loose leaf earl gray, but I like tea you can stand a spoon in), I know that PG tips are more plastic than paper, and would have thought its the same for most.
I've not got any solutions for getting rid of them though, the bin treatment seems to be the only way... try loose leaf (depending on what blend you like) or hunt around for some fair trade hippy tea
Then again, try putting them in the compost, do a few experiments.

Also milk and stuff is good for the garden, being basically nutrients. In the Isles of Scilly they have Green Cones that you shove EVERYTHING in, meat, fish, veg, the lot. Was a bit of a shock since I initially thought it was the people I was with who got it wrong (being London living, city types), but no, they cart it all off every once in a while and do something... ungodly... with it

[ina]

I don't put tea bags in the compost any more because the bags never break down and I got sick of picking little bags out of my flower beds.

It does depend on your type of teabags - some brands are made of plasticky material, some pure paper. The paper ones are no problem. Mine just disappear - a lot quicker than egg shells!

[wolfsong]

Can we start naming brands then? because personally i would like to be able to say to myself that it ain't plastic.
PG Tips are a nono

[ina]

Clipper and Ridgway seems to be OK. I have used other brands - all organic and/or fairtrade, they all seemed to be fine. Don't know whether organic tea brands are allowed plastic in their bags - I can imagine not!

[Derry]

we put eeeeeeeeeeeeeverything in the compost - tea bags, egg cartons, egg shells, fruit & veg scraps, grass cuttings, the fluff from the tumbler..