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How to Use Orange Peels for a Better Garden

June 20, 2017 by Tiffany Davis 25 Comments

How to use orange peels for a better garden! This summer’s flavor, as many before it, seems to be orange. So we have a ton of orange peels left over. I got to think that we could be the only family with that problem and thought you might appreciate some information about how we use orange peels in our garden…waste not, want not.How to Use Orange Peels for a Better Garden

If you aren’t already using all or some of these I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with all you can do to help your vegetable garden with left over orange peels.

How to Use Orange Peels for a Better Garden

Add Orange Peels to Your Compost

Orange peels are great for the compost. I have heard people say not to add citrus to your compost piles. This is really only true in vermicomposting, the worms don’t like the citrus. But in traditional compost piles, orange peels bring in phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. It is a good idea to break your peels down into small pieces so they will compost faster, otherwise they can take a lot of time. See more tips about composting orange peels here.

Use Orange Peels to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Kitties do not like citrus. You’ll need several peels for a raised bed to make it really effective. You can cut the peels into chunks and spread them around but I have found that shredding them is much better. I am able to distribute the shredded peels more evenly and worry less about rodents finding them appealing.  FYI – this works for your house plants too.

Aphids  and Whiteflies Beware!

You can make an all natural aphid and whitefly killer with orange peels. Sometimes, no matter how much you do to prevent them…the pests come. But you can battle them with an DIY orange peel solution that won’t harm your plants. Steep a 1/2 cup of orange peels in 3. 5 cups of boiling water for 15 mins. After the 15 minutes of steeping allow the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled remove the peels and put the liquid in a spray bottle; spray aphids, whiteflies, slugs or any other soft-body garden pest. Do this weekly until they are gone.

Make a Biodegradable Seed Starter Pot

Take a 1/2 of your orange, after removing the fruit, fill with dirt and a seed. Free seed start pot that can be planted right into the garden. The orange peel will break down so you don’t need to worry about removing your plants before planting them in your garden. You’ll want to do fast growing seeds in these so you don’t have a lot of mold on your peels before you plant them. But remember one thing, if you’re hoping to get worms into your garden, don’t use too many citrus starters because this could keep them from coming in.

Keep the Mosquitoes off You When You’re Gardening

Did you know that you can rub fresh orange peels on your skin and repel mosquitoes. You can also keep fresh peels around your garden, porches and patios to repel them. See other ways to repel mosquitoes here!

Bonus Using Orange Peels in the House

Sure you can use orange peels for a better garden but you can also use them in the house! Here are a few ideas to consider:

  • Freshen your garbage disposal with orange peels – just a few slices and make it smell great!
  • Use dried orange peels as kindling to start a fire (great for camping).
  • Natural air freshener – simply boil peels in water on your stove for a quick air freshener without any chemicals.
  • Make an orange peel candle – directions here.
  • Make a powerful and great smelling cleaner – directions here.

I hope these 6 ideas how to use orange peels for a better garden help you in your garden. And the home ideas can be great too!

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Filed Under: Compost, Gardening

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Miss Annie says

    July 19, 2017 at 8:12 am

    Great article… except for adding anything citrus to the compost pile.

    Reply
    • Merbs says

      April 12, 2020 at 9:52 am

      She addressed that.

      Reply
  2. john says

    December 27, 2017 at 9:17 am

    I DRY MINE AND THEN PUT THEM IN A COFFEE GRINDER AND MAKE POWDER , I WILL ADD TO THE GARDEN SOIL OR YOU CAN KEEP THEM AND ADD TO STEW

    Reply
    • Joanne says

      May 1, 2019 at 10:48 am

      great idea. will do!

      Reply
    • ZOE PRIMROSE says

      June 8, 2020 at 12:13 pm

      OOOOO–I love this idea!
      Thanks for sharing it!

      Reply
    • Mary says

      July 15, 2020 at 7:04 am

      I was wondering about the possibility of doing this. I do it with banana peels and egg shells of course.

      Reply
  3. Minnie says

    April 11, 2019 at 4:37 pm

    Live these natural uses!!

    Reply
    • Tiffany Davis says

      April 12, 2019 at 11:16 am

      Me too! <3

      Reply
  4. Ann Marie says

    April 17, 2019 at 5:07 pm

    My husband won’t use the peels in our compost but I will definately put in the garden to keep the stray cats out of my garden!

    Reply
    • Tiffany Davis says

      April 18, 2019 at 4:41 am

      A lot of people won’t but I have for years.

      Reply
    • Sandra says

      March 2, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      Above she says that the orange peels are appealing to rodents,,,,,so sure don’t want to risk that!

      Reply
  5. Carol Pritchard says

    April 29, 2019 at 4:39 am

    A few citrus peels are ok just don’t use a truck load,moderation is the key.

    Reply
    • Tiffany Davis says

      April 30, 2019 at 5:15 am

      A good piece of advice for all things. 🙂

      Reply
    • Barbara Klein says

      June 27, 2019 at 9:41 am

      I put orange rinds into an indoor planter and they kept the cats away. The rinds have turned moldy. Does anyone know if the green mold will hurt the plants?

      Reply
      • Tiffany Davis says

        July 1, 2019 at 4:35 am

        No, that should not be an issue.

        Reply
    • sean says

      November 28, 2019 at 2:54 pm

      rubbish…

      Reply
    • Judy Guptill says

      July 13, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      I don’t have a compost pile anymore because it attracted skunks, woodchucks and raccoons. Can I grind up orange peels and work them into the soil or soak them and use the water on my plants. I have mostly tomatoes and peppers

      Reply
      • Tiffany Davis says

        July 23, 2020 at 8:59 am

        Yes, you can definitely do that.

        Reply
  6. Nicodimus Masvanhisee says

    May 3, 2019 at 1:52 am

    Wonderful natural method for controlling pests and also act as fertilizer

    Reply
  7. Emma says

    February 1, 2020 at 6:50 pm

    Now there are some tips that I didn’t know thanks so much for posting.

    Reply
  8. Kristin says

    April 24, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    Any idea if it helps keep rabbits away too?

    Reply
    • Tiffany Davis says

      May 8, 2020 at 11:43 am

      I haven’t tried that, but I wouldn’t think so.

      Reply
  9. Tessa Hudson says

    May 30, 2020 at 1:35 pm

    Would lemon peels do the same?

    Reply
    • Tiffany Davis says

      June 13, 2020 at 9:07 am

      Yes, they should.

      Reply
  10. raine says

    June 15, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    I rarely throw out my orange peels. Buy organic, then you can cut slices and add them to jelly for a healthy mar-laid. I am so used to them I often take a peel dip in chocolate and have a special treat. The peels have such a lot of vitamin power to waste.

    Reply

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