When you use citrus fruit such as lemon or orange what do you do with the leftover peels? Never throw lemon and orange peels because they have many wonderful results.
Orange and lemon peels can perform the function of natural fertilizer. You are thinking that citrus peels are good for your plants. This is true because these peels are non-toxic although they are a waste product.
Lemon and orange peels make your soil more rich and another amazing benefit is that they can keep pests away from your favourite plants. As you know pests are a big problem for you.
In this article, I will share with you 10 amazing ways to use citrus fruit feels in your garden.
1- Make Your Compost More Rich By Adding Orange And Lemon Peels
Most gardeners make compost for their soil. After adding this compound to the soil it will become more prosperous for their plants. Compost is made from waste material that is available at your home.
You can add citrus peels such as lemons and oranges to this compost. After including these citrus peels in the compost it will become more nutritious for your plants.
Citrus peels are a big source of nitrogen and they are acidic in nature. Before adding the peels to the compost, you must cut them up into small pieces and mix them well in the compost.
Keep the composting pile in a hot environment and add high-nitrogen items such as animal manure, coffee grounds, and chicken manure when you are composting citrus peels. Citrus peels will protect your composting piles from pests as they dislike their smell.
2- Repelling Pests By Using Orange And Lemon Peels
The Incredible thing about orange peels is that they have d-Limonene. This chemical performed the function of insecticide. As you know insecticides are used to kill different pests that create alarming situations for your plants.
The presence of pests is a threat to you. The chemical D-Limonene damages the nervous system of other pests like slugs, white flies, ants, aphids, and soft-body garden pests. This chemical kills them and makes you free from worry.
If there is a plant in your garden that is facing the problem of pests then you can place some orange or lemon peels around this plant.
You can also make a spray of lemon or orange peels. The recipe for making this solution is very easy. You just need a half cup of orange or lemon peels. Now boil these peels in water for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes you can strain out the citrus peels. Now fill your spray bottle with this solution and apply it on your plants once a week. This solution is very environmentally friendly as D- Limonene will not harm your plants.
3- Keeping Out Cats And Dogs
Not only pests but your pets also damage your plants. Besides pests, some pets like cats and dogs also do not like the smell of citrus fruits.
You have to do nothing, just shred up some lemon or orange peel and sprinkle them on the top of the garden. In case you are growing plants in containers or pots then you can place the peels on the top of them and you will see your pets will not come near to your plants.
4- Keep Away Sand Flies And Mosquitoes
Citrus peels can solve another problem you are facing. The recipe for the bug-repellent spray is already mentioned above. This solution is also used to keep away the sand flies and mosquitoes.
When you are working in the garden mosquitoes and flies disturb you a lot. This solution will save your skin from mosquitoes and flies. You can rub fresh citrus peels on your arms to keep flies and mosquitoes away from you.
5- Use Orange And Lemon Peels As Fertilizer In The Garden
Your plants need different nutrients for their health boost. Plants absorb nutrients from the soil continuously. So there is a shortage of different nutrients in the soil.
To fill up the nutrient deficiency you can use different organic materials to keep the soil healthy for your plants. You have to amend the soil of your garden frequently so there is no shortage of nutrients in the soil.
Whenever you plant new plants in the soil the application of the fertilizer helps to encourage the new growth.
Citrus fruits such as lemon and orange contain high amounts of sulfur, magnesium, nitrogen, calcium, and other nutrients. These nutrients help to give a quick boost to your leafy plants.
When you buy fertilizer from any gardening store it contains chemicals that can be harmful to your plants as it can also grow very fast but there is a chance of burning the plants.
Peels of citrus fruits perform the function of organic fertilizer as they absorb in the soil very slowly but their presence is not harmful to your plants.
You can use lemon or orange peel as a fertilizer very easily. Just cut the peels into small pieces and place them on top of the soil. They will work slowly and provide essential nutrients to the ground that are absorbed by the plant gradually.
6- How To Make Citrus-Infused Water By Using Lemon And Orange Peels
So far we have told you many benefits of lemon and orange peels. Now I will tell you how to make citrus-infused water to improve the health of your soil.
When you apply this water to your plants they will give an extra boost of nutrients to them. You must try and see the results.
For making citrus-infused water you need some citrus peels such as lemon or orange. Place the peels in the watering can and fill the can with water. Leave this watering can overnight.
Gradually all the natural nutrients are present in peels infused in the water. Citrus peels have different beneficial nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
This natural citrus-infused water nourishes your plants naturally. So there is no need to use chemical fertilizer for your plants. In the morning, this citrus-infused water is ready to use.
It will encourage healthier growth and stronger resistance to pests and other diseases in your plant.
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7- SEED STARTER POTS
Citrus fruits easily perform the function of seedling pots. You can choose lemons and oranges for this purpose. Cut the very bottom off so the fruit you choose becomes flat.
The next step is to prepare the fruit for sowing seeds. Now fill the rind with potting mix. Sow only two seeds of your favorite plant. At this stage, your seeds need water so they can germinate easily. Keep the soil moist soon you will see the young seedlings start emerging from the soil.
You have to wait a little bit until the seedlings are grown enough to transplant them to a permanent location. You can easily transplant the seedlings with orange or lemon peel because they are natural seedling pots. They will be composted naturally over time.
8- Use Orange Or Lemon Peels To Attract Butterflies
Pollination is very important for most plants. If you want to attract pollinators such as butterflies then you can use citrus peels for this purpose.
Cut the orange or lemon in half. After that, scoop out the flesh, fill these hollowed-out halves with a small amount of water, and place them in your growing area. You will see butterflies will be attracted by them.
Now I will tell you another way of attracting butterflies. You just need to slice the lemon or orange peels and place them on flat surfaces like tree stumps or rocks.
Citrus peels produce sweet scents that attract different pollinators. Butterflies will come and feed on the sweet juices from the peels. The presence of butterflies adds color to your garden.
9- Acidify The Soil
Another advantage of citrus peel is for acid-loving plants. The pH of the soil is very important. Some plants love to grow in alkaline soil on the other hand some like acidic soil.
A soil test can tell you about the pH of the soil in your garden. You can perform this test with the help of a kid that is easily available in any gardening Store.
To raise the pH of the soil you can use citrus peels like lemon and orange. You can use dried citrus peels to boost the acidic level of the soil which is good for plants such as azaleas, camellias, and blueberries.
Take some peels from a lemon or orange and place them in a sunny spot When the peels are completely dry you can grind them. Now take this fine powder and sprinkle it in the garden around the acid-loving plants. This is a very simple and natural way of making your acid-loving plants.
10- Make An Organic Bird Feeder
If you want birds to visit your garden then you can make an attractive bird feeder by using citrus peels such as orange and lemon. The presence of birds in your garden creates healthy and harmonious surroundings.
Because the sounds of birds are pleasant to your ears. Many people visit the garden in the morning to enjoy the chirping of the birds.
For making an organic bird feeder you just need lemon or orange fruit now fruit in half and use the flash. The peels that are cut in half look like a small bowl.
Now tie these peels with strings on both ends. Now fill these attractive bird feeders with some bird seeds. Birds will come into your garden and feed from these organic feeders.