Many years ago, I remember there was an article that stated adding citrus peels to the compost pile is not a wise move. In fact, many seasoned gardeners recommended against it. The only reason for this was because when citrus peels like lime peels, lemon peels, and orange peels are added to the pile they can kill friendly bugs and worms that are important in the process of breaking down organic matter.
Today this isn’t the case and we recommend otherwise. Citrus peels are excellent for the compost.
Citrus peel composting
Citrus peelhas got a very bad reputation for composting only because, they take an extended amount of time to decompose. However, it is now possible to speed the process up, all you have to do is chop into little pieces and then add them to your compost pile.
Certain gardeners were also skeptical about using citrus peel and their compost because there are certain chemicals that are present in these peels which are frequently utilized to make organic pesticides. These chemicals are extremely effective when used as pesticides. However, the chemical oils present in them break down very quickly and evaporate even before you could add the compost to your garden.
I’d like to point out here that citrus peels that are composted pose absolutely no threat to insects that visit the garden.
Adding citrus peels to the soil pile will be extremely helpful to keep scavengers away from the compost pile.
Worms and citrus
There are many gardeners that recommend keeping away citrus peels from vermicompost, because they are harmful to worms, but there has been recent research that states otherwise. It shows that citrus peels do not pose a threat to worms. I would still recommend keeping the citrus peels away from the vermicompost because there are certain types of worms that are not fond of citrus peels.
Now a worm bin depends on the worms consuming all the organic scraps, adding citrus peels would simply not get the job done. I always recommend adding citrus peels to your traditional pile.
Mold and citrus
Some people do have concerns about mixing citrus to the pile because molds also grow on such peels. Will that have an effect on the compost pile?
I don’t think it will be a concern, because the temperatures in the compost pile tend to increase and molds do not survive in hot temperatures. Molds grow in environments that are cool, like the fridge temperature or the temperature in the room. A compost pile must be at a higher temperature than this.
Citrus fruits that are sold commercially, at times have anti microbial wax on them, it is mild. Now penicillium mold is a problem for gardeners that grow citrus, so this is the best way that they can prevent the growth of mold. It was also particularly beneficial as they wait for them to be purchased. The fruit has a mild application of the wax, this will not affect the compost pile. We know for sure it is mild because people will also have contact and have to eat it as well. So, if they apply a stronger coat of what’s on the fruit, can harm consumers.
I do hope that this article has helped you understand all about utilizing citrus peels in your compost piles. Do let us know what you think about it. See you guys soon!