Before you chuck away your orange peel, an expert has urged to put it to better use in your garden instead. Its zesty peel is rich in multiple vitamins and can give your plants a much-needed boost before summer.
As we approach the warmer months, an increasing number of Brits are trying their hand at gardening. In fact, an estimated 30 million of us are rolling up our sleeves and getting stuck in the mud to produce our own flowers, fruits and veg. This also means it’s an ample opportunity to cut down on food waste. Many common kitchen scraps, like orange peel, make for brilliantly versatile plant fertilisers.
It’s already common knowledge that oranges are fantastic sources of vitamin C for humans. However, they are also rich in nutrients like phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, which help promote healthy plant growth once added into the soil.
In a blog post on marthastewart.com, house and garden expert Michelle Mastro named four different ways you can use orange peel in the garden, as reported by Devon Live. This even includes using it in the form of sprays and powders.
One of the best ways that you can utilise orange peel in your garden is by turning it into compost. According to Michelle: “Orange peels enrich the soil with essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, boosting plant root development.”
Equally, oranges are highly acidic, which means they can help alter the soil’s pH if needed. Flowers like azaleas, camellias and hydrangeas will particularly benefit from a layer orange peel compost.
Before adding orange peels to your compost, Michelle recommends drying them out first, before cutting them up into smaller pieces. This allows them to decompose faster in your compost pile.
Summer inevitably beckons an aggravating surge in ant numbers. However, Michelle has advised that orange peel can be used to ward them away. The best way to go about this is to grind the orange peels into a powder before sprinkling it around your garden.
This is because many pests find their strong citrus scent repellent. Although, be mindful that April’s rainy weather may mean you need to repeat the process after each shower to remain effective.
Another great way to reuse orange peels is to start seeds in them. They can make a great biodegradable alternative to traditional seedling pots, which are often made with plastic..
Michelle suggested: “Cut the fruit in half and remove the flesh and seeds. Fill the halves with soil and sow your seeds. Once the seedlings have one or two sets of true leaves, transplant them into larger containers.”
A final brilliant way to make full use of your orange peel is to turn it into an aphid spray. Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects that are known to wreck havoc on gardens. They infest green leafy plants and deplete them of nutrients, leaving them weak and rotted.
So, if you’re dealing with an unsightly aphid plague, then Michelle recommends making your own spray. Simply add orange peel to a spray bottle with a small amount of washing up liquid. Then spritz over the base of your stems to discourage any bugs from taking a bite.
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