I Fertilize My Fruit Trees This Way Using Expired Eggs, Fruit Peels and Garden Waste – Try This Simple Method

If you have fruit plants, flowering plants, or ornamental plants in your garden, you do not always need to rely on expensive fertilizers. Some of the things we normally throw into the kitchen bin can be returned to the soil instead.

Expired eggs, fruit peels, garden leaves, and soft weeds can all become useful organic material when they are buried properly. They will not work like a quick chemical fertilizer, but as they break down, soil organisms turn them into material that can improve the soil around the plant.

This is one of the simple methods I use when I want to put kitchen and garden waste back into the soil.

The idea is very straightforward. Dig a small hole near the plant, add the organic material, cover it completely with soil, and then put some mulch over the area.

There are a few things to keep in mind, especially when digging around established plants. The main goal is to add organic material without damaging the roots.

How to Make the Fertilizer Hole

Start by choosing a suitable place near the plant. Do not dig directly against the stem or trunk. Instead, leave some space between the plant and the hole.

This is particularly important with established fruit trees and larger ornamental plants because their roots can spread much farther than you might expect. Digging directly over thick roots can damage them.

Use a small shovel or hand trowel and make a hole large enough to hold the material you want to bury. There is no need to make a huge hole.

If the plant is small, make a smaller hole. For a larger plant, you can make a slightly bigger hole farther away from the main stem.

I also prefer to change the location of the hole when repeating this method. There is no reason to keep digging in exactly the same spot and disturbing the same section of soil and roots.

Using Expired Eggs in the Soil

One of the easiest materials to use is an expired egg.

If you have eggs that are past their best and you do not want to eat them, you can use them in the garden instead of throwing them away.

Place the egg inside the hole and break it with the shovel. Breaking the egg allows the contents to spread through the surrounding soil instead of remaining as one whole object.

An egg contains organic material, including proteins and fats, as well as various nutrients. Soil microorganisms can break these materials down over time.

The shell is useful too. Eggshells are mainly made of calcium carbonate and contain calcium. However, eggshells do not release their calcium instantly. A whole or roughly crushed shell can take quite a while to break down.

If you want the eggshell to decompose faster, crush it into smaller pieces before adding it to the soil.

It is also worth remembering that an egg is not a replacement for a complete fertilizer. It is simply one source of organic material and nutrients that can become part of the soil as it decomposes.

Why Fruit Peels Can Be Used

If you do not have expired eggs, fruit peels are another option.

Banana peels are commonly used in gardens because they contain potassium along with other nutrients. Potassium is important for many plant processes, including water regulation and overall plant development.

However, burying a banana peel does not mean the plant immediately receives all of its potassium. The peel has to decompose first, and soil microorganisms have to break down the organic material.

You can also use mango peels, apple peels, pear peels, melon rinds, and many other fruit scraps.

Cutting large peels into smaller pieces can help them break down more quickly because smaller pieces have more surface area exposed to moisture and microorganisms.

Fruit peels also add organic matter to the soil. As they decompose, they become part of the organic material in the soil.

Using Garden Leaves

Garden leaves are another free source of organic material.

Instead of removing every fallen leaf from the garden and throwing it away, some can be returned to the soil.

Dry leaves are especially useful as mulch, while softer leaves can be buried in small quantities. As leaves decompose, they contribute carbon and other nutrients to the soil.

You can collect leaves from around your garden, chop them into smaller pieces, and add them to the hole along with fruit peels or other suitable organic materials.

Leaves also support soil life as they break down. Earthworms, fungi, bacteria, and other organisms help turn dead plant material into simpler organic matter.

If you already have plenty of leaves in your garden, there is no need to buy special material for this method.

Adding Soft Garden Weeds

Some weeds can also be used, but there is one important rule: avoid weeds that have mature seeds.

If you bury a weed that has already produced lots of seeds, those seeds may survive and later germinate around your plants.

Young, soft weeds without mature seed heads can be chopped into smaller pieces and buried in the soil.

Weeds are simply plants that have grown where we do not want them. Their leaves and stems contain nutrients that they took from the soil while growing. When those plant materials decompose, some of those nutrients return to the soil.

Do not use weeds that have been sprayed with herbicides or other chemicals unless you know the product is safe for this purpose.

Combining Different Materials

You do not have to use only one type of waste.

For example, you can put some fruit peels, a few soft leaves, and an expired egg into the same hole.

The different materials contain different types of organic matter. Fruit scraps tend to be relatively soft and moist, while dry leaves contain more carbon-rich material.

The important thing is to keep the amount reasonable. A small hole does not need to be packed tightly with a huge amount of kitchen waste.

Too much fresh organic material in one small area can create unpleasant smells while it decomposes and may attract unwanted animals.

A moderate amount is enough.

Cover Everything With Soil

After adding the material, use the soil you removed from the hole to cover everything.

Make sure the egg, fruit peels, and other scraps are completely buried.

This is important for several reasons. Buried organic material stays in contact with moist soil, which helps decomposition. Covering it also reduces the chance of attracting animals.

Leaving food scraps exposed around plants is not a good idea. Dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and other animals may be attracted to them.

So once you add the material, put the soil back and press it down lightly.

There is no need to compact the soil heavily. Just make sure the material is properly covered.

Add Mulch Over the Soil

The final step is adding mulch.

You can use dry leaves, straw, grass clippings, wood chips, or another suitable organic mulch.

Spread a layer over the area where you buried the scraps, but keep the mulch away from direct contact with the stem or trunk.

Mulch has several useful jobs in the garden. It slows down moisture evaporation, protects the surface of the soil, reduces temperature changes, and can gradually add more organic matter as it decomposes.

A layer of mulch also makes the area look cleaner after you have buried kitchen scraps.

Instead of seeing bare soil, you have a protected layer covering the area.