Can We Bust a Common Garden Myth about Using Orange Peels in Compost?

One of the great debates in the gardening world is whether or not citrus fruit peels belong in compost bins.

On one side, you have those who say that orange and lemon peels take too long to decompose and add too much acidity. On the other side, you have those who argue that citrus peels are a valuable source of nutrients for plants and can be composted just like other types of food scraps.

So, what’s the verdict? Are orange peels good for compost?

Here’s what we know:

Will Orange Peels Ruin Your Compost?

No, leftover peels from oranges or other types of citrus will not ruin your compost. Orange peels are a perfectly suitable addition to a healthy compost pile when used in moderation. Their high nitrogen content helps give plants a nutrient boost, while their citrus scent may help ward off harmful scavengers and destructive insects.

What are the benefits of composting with orange peels?

1. Orange Peels are Rich in Nutrients that Can Help Plants Grow Stronger

Orange peels are a great way to give plants a boost in growth once they’re broken down in your compost heap to make that black gold that we all love so much. Orange peels also are covered in natural yeasts and bacteria that will help your compost break down and create a high-quality garden soil amendment.

2. They Help to Maintain the pH Balance

Orange peels contain citric acid, which has a pH of 2.7 and can thus decrease the acidity of the soil when composted. If you’re making compost specifically for acid-loving plants like blueberry bushes, you can add higher amounts of citrus peels to the compost pile so that you lower the overall pH enough.

Otherwise, adding orange peels in moderation will help to balance the compost pile rather than causing it to be excessively acidic. You’ll want to think about the total proportions of what you’re putting into your compost pile, and if you’re balancing it appropriately, you’ll be fine! If you’re adding many other types of citrus fruit, like lemon or lime peels, you’ll want to add orange peels in small amounts so that you don’t upset the pH balance in the finished compost.

3. Orange Peels Might Ward Off Pests from Your Compost Pile

Composting with orange peels can be a really good thing because they can help repel pests and ward off bugs due to the citric acid and the essential oils contained in the peels.

Citric acid is a natural deterrent against ants, aphids, whiteflies, slugs, and other soft-body garden pests. However, it’s not going to be a foolproof solution if you have a lot of pests in your compost that you’re trying to get rid of.

4. They Can Boost the Composting Process

Orange peels add nitrogen to the composting process, which helps balance out the carbon added by brown materials such as dry leaves and straw. If you’re adding a lot of brown materials to your compost, you need to balance it with greens like citrus peels and other food scraps like vegetable peels, coffee grounds, and egg shells so that the compost has the right ratio of brown to green materials to break down properly.

Having the right balance of carbon to nitrogen increases the decomposition rate of the compost pile and allows it to heat properly and break down thoroughly. This ensures that you’re creating good fertilizer for your garden plants with lots of benefits from the diversity of organic materials.

What should you consider when adding orange peels to your compost?

Check the pH Balance of Your Compost

It’s important to make sure your compost pile falls in the right pH for proper decomposition. The best way to monitor this is to check the pH balance of your compost by using a pH tester. This is an inexpensive tool you can buy from any hardware store or online.

Insert the probe into the compost mix and take note of the reading on the meter display screen; this indicates the current pH level of your compost mixture.

Add citrus skins like orange peels and grapefruit peels as an easy way to increase acid levels if the pH is too high. The goal is to have a balanced pH level between 6 and 7 (neutral) by the time the compost is finished.

You can test again after the orange peels have decomposed and continue to adjust accordingly until you reach the desired range of 6-7 pH level for optimum composting results!

If you’re trying to shoot for a lower pH for acidic soil-loving plants like blueberry bushes, azaleas, and hydrangeas, you’ll want to continue adding a higher portion of acidic materials into your compost until you reach the right level.

Consider Adding Peels from Other Citrus Fruits

It’s perfectly safe to use peels from other citrus fruits in your compost bin. The main thing to consider is the overall volume of citrus peels that you’re adding to your compost bin compared to the other food scraps, leaves, and anything else you’re adding in.

You want to make sure you’re balancing the acid level of citrus that you’re adding with the overall balance of nitrogen to carbon (greens to browns) in your pile. For more information about balancing your compost pile, check out this article from the Colorado Extension Service.

How to Add Orange Peels to Your Compost Bin

Prepare Your Orange Peels for Compost

Orange peels can compost in whole pieces straight after being peeled, but because they’re so tough and thick, it’s better to do some simple prep work on them ahead of time.

After you collect your orange peels, cut them into small pieces or slices before they dry out too much. You can keep them in a bowl or colander on your counter until you are ready to add them to your compost. If you wait to cut them until the peels have started to dry, it will be more difficult to slice them into smaller pieces.

Other than that, there are no other special considerations you need to take when composting orange peels or any other citrus fruit like grapefruit, limes, or lemons.

When to Add Your Orange Peels to the Compost

Collect food scraps, including orange peels, in a bowl or dedicated container in your kitchen until you have enough to add to the compost pile. There is no minimum amount required before adding food scraps to your composting pile, but you will be more consistent if you make a specific habit and routine around when to add food scraps to your compost, rather than trying to do it every time you have a snack.

How to Mix Orange Peels into Compost Bins

Take your full indoor compost bowl/container out to your compost bin. Depending on the type of bin you have, you would add your foods craps to your compost in different ways.

If you have a closed rolling-style compost bin, you can add the food scraps, close it up, and then spin it to mix it all together.

If you have an open bin, you can dig out a small corner of your bin (rotating every time), add your food scraps, and bury them. It’s important to bury any newly added compost so that your bin doesn’t attract scavengers.

Check out this article by All About Gardening if you need a more detailed step-by-step about how to compost citrus peels properly.

FAQs

What are the potential risks associated with adding citrus peels to compost?

Some potential risks associated with adding citrus peels to compost include:

– A higher acidity level in the compost, which may be detrimental for some plants and soil conditions.

– Slower decomposition process due to the larger size of the citrus peels if they’re not consistently chopped into smaller pieces.

– Potential clogging of air spaces within the compost pile due to larger citrus peels.

Will Citrus Peels Attract Pests to My Compost Pile?

No, citrus peels should not attract pests to your compost pile, and in fact, they might act as pest deterrents! As with all food scraps, you should bury your fresh additions in your compost bin if it’s an open bin to discourage pests from investigating your compost pile.

Does Composting Citrus Peels Affect the pH Balance of my Compost?

Composting citrus peels can affect the pH balance of your compost due to their acidic nature (3.5-3.8 on average) if you add a lot of citrus peels compared to the other food scraps you’re adding.

For most people, you will generate plenty of other food scraps to balance out the effects of the citrus. Still, if you have a large family and go through a lot of oranges, you may need to find other things to do with some of your citrus peels so that you don’t overwhelm the pile with one acidic food source.

What Type of Composting Bin is Best for Composting Citrus Peels?

When choosing a compost bin for composting citrus fruit peels, various options are available. Any outdoor bin is going to break down orange peels effectively. While orange peels may get moldy in the process (they’re a great host for the blue mold that is used for blue cheeses!), they will not negatively impact your compost pile because of that.

Because orange peels can take longer to break down than other kitchen scraps, it’s best to keep them in an outdoor bin that you can let thoroughly break down before using. If you keep multiple compost heaps, you can have one dedicated to “hot” food waste scraps that break down really quickly so you can use it faster and one that has items that may break down more slowly.

What Other Fruits Can I Compost Besides Citrus?

To add variety to your compost pile, you should also add other fruit and vegetable scraps in addition to citrus. Composting works best when a large variety of food scraps are used, which help to maintain a good ratio of greens to browns, so the composting microbes stay happy and healthy.

Some common fruit scraps that are good candidates for composting are:

• Apple cores
• Banana peels
• Stone fruit peels or scraps
• Strawberry tops
• Mango peels

Are There any Benefits to Composting Citrus Seeds?

You can add citrus seeds to your compost without any concern. Just throw them into the compost bin along with your other food scraps. They provide some extra nitrogen to the pile, but since they are so small, they won’t add any big benefit or detriment to your overall pile.

How Long Does it Take for Orange Peels to Break Down in Compost?

Orange peels can take a long time to compost completely, sometimes up to six months to break down fully. However, under ideal compost conditions and in small pieces, they can decompose more quickly.

The process can be sped up by cutting the peels into smaller pieces, turning your pile occasionally, monitoring the temperature of your pile, and maintaining the appropriate balance of nitrogen to carbon.

Additionally, the d-limonene found in fresh orange peels and other citrus fruits can inhibit microorganisms from breaking down the peels as quickly as they break down other types of food scraps.

Can You Add Citrus Peels to a Worm Compost Bin?

It is not recommended to add fruit or peels from the citrus family into your worm composting bin, as the high acid content in the peels and fruit can negatively affect the health of your worms and cause them to die off faster than they can reproduce. Worms are much more sensitive to the acid content in the worm bin and can be impacted quickly because of the small volume of material in a bin.

Instead of adding citrus peels to your worm bin, add them to your outdoor compost pile or re-use them another way. For more information about home composting, check out this site from the EPA that’s full of great resources.