How to Use Orange Peels in Your Garden, According to Gardeners

• Orange peels shouldn’t be thrown in the landfill since they can benefit the garden. 
• Orange peels are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and potassium, which improve plant health. 
• They should be chopped into small pieces or pressed for their essential oils.

Orange peels are a powerful, natural resource for garden health. Rich in essential oils and nutrients, they can enhance soil, deter pests, and disinfect tools.

Here’s advice from gardening experts on how to use orange peels in the garden for organic, sustainable, and chemical-free care.

Benefits of Using Orange Peels

Orange peels are useful in the garden to enrich compost, repel insects, and disinfect tools. Some gardeners also find that they keep cats out of their gardens or work as an odor cover.

“We enjoy different varieties of citrus fruit in the kitchen, including clementines, oranges, and mandarins,” says Anna Ohler, of Bright Lane Gardens. “So, we are left with an abundance of orange peels.”

“I do use orange peels in the garden because they’re an easy way to reuse kitchen scraps and help the soil,” adds Ohler.

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5 Ways to Use Orange Peels in the Garden

Rich Compost

“I’ll toss orange peels into my compost pile, where they break down over time,” Ohler says. “They add nutrients, especially nitrogen and potassium.”

But given the high acid content of orange peels, is adding citrus to a compost bin acceptable?

If you are vermicomposting, or composting with worms, you’ll want to keep orange peels out of your compost bin. If you’re not using worms in the compost, you can add orange peels. Just be sure to keep them in good proportion with the other compost greens and browns.

Insect Repellant

“Orange peels can act as a natural, eco-friendly pest deterrent due to the citrus oils they contain,” says Justine Reichman, of NextGen Purpose. “The oils repel pests like ants and mosquitoes.”

Orange oils repel insects by targeting their nervous systems and serving as a natural fumigant—minus synthetic chemicals.

“I scatter dried orange peels around plants to help keep certain insects away,” Ohler says. “The citrus smell can repel pests like aphids and ants.”

Natural Disinfectant

Disinfect items around the garden with orange peel disinfectant without harsh chemicals. Orange peels are rich in bioactive compounds such as citric acids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and essential oils like limonene. These natural chemicals give orange peels powerful antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

Orange peels can be used to organically clean bacteria and fungi on:

Odor Cover

Orange peels can be used as a natural air freshener for a particularly stinky section of the garden, such as by a manure pile or bags of fertilizer.

“The best ways to use them are to place fresh peels in garden beds or near entry points,” Reichman says. “Or you can zest them to release more oils, or use dried peels in sachets around outdoor areas.”

Cat Repellant

If you’re tired of cats using your garden as a litter box, you might find that orange peels can help. Some gardeners have great success tossing orange peels around the garden to repel cats.

Not everyone is so successful, however. Ohler says that sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not.

“Keeping the cats away is hit or miss in my experience,” she says.

Cons to Using Orange Peels

While often touted as a panacea around the garden, orange peels have some downsides. Orange peels tend to:

• Attract pests like slugs or raccoons.
• Dry out quickly.
• Ruin a vermicompost (worm) pile.

Always experiment with orange peels in small amounts before using them in greater quantities.

Tips for Working With Orange Peels

When using orange peels in the garden, chop well, use in moderation, and replace frequently, Ohler and Reichman say.

• Chop finely: “Chop orange peels into smaller pieces to help them break down faster,” Ohler says. “Otherwise, it can take a while for a full peel to decompose.”
• Use in moderation: “The key is not overdoing it with orange peels,” Ohler says. “Too much citrus can make the soil too acidic. This includes all other citrus varieties, too, like lemons, grapefruit, and limes.”
• Mix thoroughly: When using orange peels in the compost pile, mix well with other organic matter, Ohler says.
• Replace frequently: “Note that orange peels are a short-term solution,” Reichman says. “The oils evaporate quickly, so peels need to be replaced often.”