25 May 2024 , 13:13
805
0
Fertilising the garden is one of the best things gardeners can do for it.
Proper fertilising leads to bigger blooms, more abundant harvests, and overall happier plants. However, good-quality fertiliser can be expensive. Thankfully, gardeners have shared a kitchen scrap item that can be used to save money and reduce kitchen waste.
Kitchen waste is something everyone deals with, no matter how hard households try to eat everything before it goes bad. This is especially true when it comes to plant products. To minimise waste, one gardener asked if she could use orange peels in her garden, what couldn't be added in gardens, and whether they would benefit her plants.
Taking to the Gardening UK Facebook page, Angela Knight said: "Hi, I have a few compost questions. Can I put orange peel in the compost bin? I eat loads of oranges but as I never knew if you could I tend to throw the peel away. I know you can't put onions, cooked food and meat in, but is there anything else you shouldn't put in the compost bin?."
Group members were all for adding orange peels in the garden. Louise Gallagher said: "I always add oranges and onion! Not had any problems." Mabel Walker said: "I put all uncooked veg and fruit peel, onions, orange, banana peel, buckets of unwashed seaweed in and shredded paper and cardboard."
Man fined £165 after outraging the internet by dying puppy to look like Pikachu
Brian Corr shared his gardening tip: "I have always put onions and also orange, lime and lemon peels in and it's never been an issue for me. It's helped my plants greatly and has deterred rats and cats from my garden." The pungent aroma of citrus fruits is an excellent, safe deterrent for feline friends who mistake gardens for their personal loos.
Emma Kelsall revealed her composting habits: "We put it all in our compost. The only thing I avoid is anything cooked." Chris Taylor praised the benefits of citrus waste: "Orange peel is brilliant to add to compost as it breaks down it releases phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium."
He added: "Every plant needs as much of these nutrients as it can get to thrive. I put the skins of oranges in my compost every day. The family love fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast." Gardeners are being advised that one of the best uses for orange peels is to chuck them into the compost heap. After a couple of years, they'll start breaking down.
These peels are packed with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, which transform into rich soil for gardens once decomposed. Their acidic nature makes them ideal for acid-loving plants like spuds, blueberries, and azaleas. Oranges won't break the bank either, with a five-pack going for just 95p at Tesco, Asda, and Aldi that's a mere 19p an orange.