It is almost always perfectly fine to compost citrus, as long as it is properly prepared. The truth is that
Orange peels are safe to add to your compost pile. Over time, as the citrus peels decompose, they add nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to your compost. Those are three of the most essential nutrients needed by plants.
Orange peels: It is estimated that orange peels take around 6 months to decompose, although in drier environments like Central Oregon, oranges can last indefinitely.
'Orange peels are great for your garden, as they can help to add nutrients to your soil – aiding in the growth and maintenance of your plants,' Laura explains.
Citrus fruit, tomato products and pickled food products can do harm to your compost. High acidity can actually kill the good bacteria that helps break down the material in your compost pile.
According to health experts, the peel of an orange is the healthiest part of the entire fruit. It is said that orange peels are rich in flavonoids and many other essential phytochemicals, which offer numerous health benefits. The peel also contains calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin A and B.
Orange Peels
Also, aphids and ants really do not like the scent of oranges, so you can bury the peels shallowly in your garden soil, or shred pieces of it and scatter that across your garden. Additionally, similar to one of the many uses of eggshells, you can use half of an orange peel to plant a seed!
The pungent smell of orange peels can help deter some pests and rodents away from the plants,' Kevin explains.
Adding nitrogen-rich materials
The microorganisms in compost need both nitrogen and carbon to work. If there is too much carbon, the process will slow down. To speed up the process try adding 'greens' – items that are high in nitrogen, such as grass clippings or manure.
Let's just start out by saying: putting egg shells in your compost is okay; they are a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients that plants need.
DON'T add meat scraps, bones, grease, whole eggs, or dairy products to the compost pile because they decompose slowly, cause odors, and can attract rodents. DON'T add pet feces or spent cat liter to the compost pile. DON'T add diseased plant material or weeds that have gone to seed.
Simple organic activators you may have on hand are lime (limestone), blood meal (yes, it's dried blood), fish meal, and poultry, rabbit, and horse manure. Rabbit food (pellets) and dry dog food are also organic activators that are often have on-hand.
You can put orange peels into your compost mix. Citrus peels, which are high in nitrogen, can be used to increase the activity of microorganisms by being added to your compost. You can add lemon peels, grapes, lime peels, and other citrus peels to your compost pile as a nutrient.
Citrus Deters Ants. According to HomeTipsWorld and their article here, ants really do hate orange peel. Specifically: Did you know, mix orange peels and water, spray the solution outside your home, will prevent ants from coming in.
Do orange peels repel pests? They certainly do. While orange peels smell amazing to us, bugs don't care for their scent. Orange peels can help keep biting bugs away thanks to their fragrant citrus oils.
Adding orange peels to your soil will help acidify it. This method is an all natural way to increase the acidity in your garden soil.
Cats have very sensitive noses and think citrus smells terrible. Anecdotal evidence suggests that placing fresh orange peels (or the peel of any citrus fruit, according to The Best Cat Page) around your garden or around specific plants can make cats steer clear.
Does boiling an orange peel destroy its nutrients? Yes, boiling may strip orange peels of some nutrients. However, this depends on the extent to which the peels have been boiled.
Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
Some fruits and vegetables that you should compost with caution are those with high acidities, such as citrus fruits, pickles, and tomatoes. The acid content of these foods can kill the good bacteria in your compost pile and slow down its decomposition.
Banana peels are a great ingredient for your compost or worm farm, adding lots of nutrients to the organic recycling process.
Onions are organic waste, so by default you'd expect to compost them. There are a lot of different opinions out there, but in short, you can definitely put onions into your compost bin.