Citrus trees and fruits such as lemon and orange are very popular and they are consumed basically in every house. Instead of throwing away Citrus peel after eating the fruit, you can use them in your garden. They have amazing uses. Scroll down to discover the uses of citrus peel in gardens.
1.To keep away dogs and cats
Many animals and pets including dogs and cats can’t stand the smell of citrus peel. Therefore you can use it to keep them away from your garden. All you need to do is blend some pieces of citrus peel with coffee grounds and sprinkle them in your garden.
This combination of citrus peel and the coffee ground will not only keep pets away but it will also fertilize your soil and enrich it with nutrients.
2. Make a compost
Citrus peels are a good source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you make your own traditional compost at home, throw them in your composting bin. Make sure to chop them into tiny bits before composting as it will degrade faster. If however, you do your own vermicomposting, it is best to avoid using peels in that, as many worms will not eat them.
3. Acidify the soil
Some plants like radishes and peppers love an acidic soil. If you have acid loving plants in your garden, dry the citrus peels, powder them and sprinkle them in the soil. This will increase the acidity of the soil and supply it with other nutrients as well.
4. Repel Pests
Most people tend to use chemical pesticides to kill pests and keep them away from their gardens. However, chemical pesticides, although they are effective, they are not a good choice since they will contaminate your garden.
Instead of chemical pesticides, you can use the citrus peel to get rid of pests. Cut a citrus peel into small pieces and place these pieces on the infected plant. It should be noted that citrus peel is not as effective as pesticides in repelling pests, but at least it is organic and it does not contain any chemicals.
5. To get a fresh scent
This is one of the oldest uses of citrus peel in gardens. If you have a firepit in your garden, whenever you light it up, you should throw some citrus peel in it. As they burn, they will release an extremely fresh scent.
6. Keep mosquitos away
Mosquitoes apparently hate the smell of citrus. If you want to get rid of them, rub the peels on your skin or place them around your garden or patio and you should keep them away. I haven’t tried this myself, but if you did, let me know how you fared in the comments section.
7. A seed starter
If you’re in need of an organic seed starter, you can use the citrus peel as a base for your seedlings to hatch. Just poke a small hole at the bottom of the peel for drainage, fill it with a good potting mix, add your seeds and sprinkle some water and when your seedlings are ready or transplanting, just put the seedling, peel and all into the soil. The peel will compost directly in the soil and add further nourishment to the plant as it grows.
8. To get rid of ants
Ants can be a real problem in a terrace garden, especially since the tend to damage the plant roots and protect pests like aphids from getting attacked by ladybugs. Lemon peels are the natural enemies of ants and adding these to your plants is a great, non toxic way to get rid of the buggers.