Composting Lemons – Tips and Benefits

Composting is one of the best things you can do both for your garden and the environment. It helps reduce food waste by turning it into nutritious compost that all your plants can enjoy. There are still some questions about composting, even though the general idea is that “anything that once lived” can go in it.

That being said, there are proper ways to handle your compost; it’s not “anything goes,” and you shouldn’t treat it that way. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to determine what’s good for your pile. But there remains the age-old question:

Gardening fans have been arguing about this question for years, and there is a lot of disagreement about it. Many reasons have been given for each side, which makes things hard for everyone who wants the best for their compost pile. However, the truth is that, while the consensus has escaped most, there is an answer.

Lemons are a common kitchen waste that many home composters have in abundance. And luckily, lemons can definitely be added to your compost pile! The peels offer several advantages. But as with any compost ingredient, there are some best practices to follow when adding citrus fruits. Here is a complete guide to composting lemons.

Can You Compost Lemons?

The short answer is yes! Lemons contain beneficial nutrients that feed microorganisms and condition the soil. The acidic peels help balance pH levels. And the high moisture content aids decomposition.

However, lemons do have thick, waxy peels that break down slower than other fruit and veggie scraps. They may also attract fruit flies if added in excess. With some care, none of this should prevent you from composting lemons.

Tips for Composting Lemons

Follow these tips to safely add lemons to your compost

  • Chop or shred the peels into small pieces to speed decomposition. The more surface area, the better.

  • Bury peels under other compost materials like leaves or straw, This conceals any fruit fly attracting juices

  • Limit lemons to moderate amounts, avoiding huge piles of peels. Citrus acids can overwhelm the pile.

  • Mix peels thoroughly with browns like wood chips to balance acidity and moisture.

  • Turn or stir the pile frequently to distribute lemons and air it out.

  • Monitor temperature and moisture level Add water or dry amendments as needed,

Benefits of Composting Lemons

Adding lemon peels to your compost offers several advantages:

  • Nutrients – Lemons contain nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium to feed soil microbes.

  • Acidity – The citric acid helps lower pH, counteracting overly alkaline compost.

  • Moisture – Lemon pulp provides needed moisture for microbial activity.

  • Odor deterrent – Strong lemon scent may help mask unwanted compost smells.

  • Pest control – Citrus oils can help repel insects and rodents from the pile.

  • Aeration – Lemon rinds have rigid structure to allow air pockets.

Using Composted Lemons in the Garden

Finished compost containing lemon peels can be used like any other compost to:

  • Mix into potting soil for containers and seed starting.

  • Work into garden beds to condition soil before planting.

  • Top dress lawns, flower beds, and around trees.

  • Make compost tea to boost plants with nutrients.

  • Add to vermicompost bins after initial breakdown.

  • Spread in rows before planting fruits and vegetables.

The nutrients and organic matter from composted lemons will improve soil health and nourishment for plants. Just avoid piling on uncomposted peels directly, as the acidity may burn plants.

What About Composting Whole Lemons?

It’s best not to toss whole, unused lemons into your compost pile. The uncomposted pulp and juices can attract pests, create odors, and lead to overly wet conditions. However, you can compost whole lemons if you:

  • Slice large fruit open to expose the flesh and seeds, or chop into pieces.

  • Mix well with ample brown materials like sawdust or dried leaves.

  • Bury deep in the center of an active hot pile.

  • Monitor for any odors or pests, adjusting as needed.

  • Turn frequently and wait until fully broken down before using.

With extra care, even whole lemons can be composted without issues. But it’s simpler to just compost the peels and pulp.

Troubleshooting Lemons in Compost

Problems that may arise from adding too many lemons include:

  • Excess acidity lowering the pH – Fix by adding more browns.

  • Bad odors from too much moisture and juice – Improve aeration with turning.

  • Fruit flies hovering over the pile – Bury peels deeper and mix in browns.

  • Slow decomposition of the thick peels – Chop or shred peels before adding.

  • Burning of plants from undecomposed peels or acids – Ensure compost is finished before using in gardens.

Following the best practices above will prevent most issues with composting lemons.

The Bottom Line

It is perfectly safe and beneficial to add lemon peels, pulp, and even whole lemons in moderation to your compost pile. The nutrients, organic matter, and acidity all contribute positively. Just be sure to balance out the moisture and acids by mixing with browns, avoid attracting pests, and monitor conditions. Composting lemons helps reduce food waste while improving your compost and garden soil. It’s a win-win situation for any composter who enjoys lemons!

can you put lemons in compost

Using Citrus When Composting

can you put lemons in compost

Citrus is a great addition to most composting piles for a few different reasons. For one, it’s a great kind of green compost. Things that can be composted and have either nitrogen or protein in them are called “green compost.” A healthy compost heap needs both of these things. And different types of plants do better with different nutrients. The compost you use for edible shrubs or groundcover will be different from the compost you use for sugarcane.

Citrus is able to give off lots of sumptuous nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These are all sure to benefit your compost in many ways. Green compost helps heat up the pile because of the deterioration brought about by microorganisms. This helps the fermentation process greatly.

Secondly, the scent from the citrus is one that many pests and scavengers will not like. It acts as a natural deterrent to keep unwanted animals away from your compost. It’s important to keep your composting mix away from rats, voles, gophers, raccoons, and other animals that like to eat dead things.

Also, it’s good to know that putting citrus in compost won’t hurt the good bugs you want in your garden. Simply put, this is because the oils will be gone long before you use compost in your garden soil.

Lastly, using citrus when composting is great for the environment. Any use you can find for your scraps other than throwing them away is great for Mother Earth because it means less trash ends up in landfills.

In these rough times, we need to take extra care of the environment, so this is always a good thing. Composting what you can also help control erosion because the compost holds moisture. This is great for your plants, too!.

If you put too much citrus in your compost pile, it can become too acidic, but many plants like it that way. Deciduous trees like dogwood, willow, and magnolias prefer acidic soil. There are many gorgeous flowering plants that love acidic soil, such as camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas, daffodils, nasturtiums!.

If you keep these plants in your garden, they might do better with a specific compost that has a lot of citrus in it. This means you don’t have to be as careful about how much citrus you put in their compost.

Can I Compost Citrus, Including Oranges or Lemons?

That answer is: yes! You should use citrus in your compost piles.

That being said, this doesn’t mean you can just throw as much citrus into a compost pile as you want. Gardening is an art, and technique must go into that art if you want your garden to flourish. Let’s start by squeezing out the myths from the facts.

can you put lemons in compost

People are taught to avoid putting citrus in their compost piles for a number of reasons. Many people say citrus peels don’t decompose, so it’s useless to include them. Some people also say that citrus should not be used in compost piles at all because it can make the soil too acidic, which kills worms and microorganisms.

Other people think that citrus peels have pesticides in them, so the compost can’t be used as garden soil. Similarly, people stay away from composting citrus because certain chemicals in citrus peels are used to make pesticides.

People are right to be worried about these things, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t want to use citrus in their garden compost. However, it should be said that these claims are either false or can be worked around.

can you put lemons in compost

The truth is that citrus – peels, fruits, and leaves – are actually beneficial to many composting mixtures. Myths aren’t made up for no reason; some of them are technically true but can’t be used in real life. It is common for these myths to be spread, even though there are better fruits and vegetables that are easier to compost. Let’s look at some citrus composting facts.

I want to make it clear that citrus peels do break down, it’s just that it takes longer than usual. This is because of their adipose cells being resistant to decomposition. These are the same cells that contain the oils that give a citrus fruit its characteristic scent.

The peels should be dried out first, since heat makes them break down more easily. You can opt to dry them in an oven. another option is to leave them out on a rack to dry out in the sun. After they have dried, you can cut them into smaller pieces to help them break down faster.

Additionally, it is true that worms and microorganisms don’t like how acidic citrus makes compost mix. The workaround is creating a balance between all the scraps in your compost pile. To neutralize acidity and use the compost with your soil, make sure you keep your compost pile in good shape.

When it comes to worms, citrus fruits shouldn’t be used in wormeries because they are too acidic and kill the worms. With that said, compost heaps aren’t reliant on worms. When worms don’t like the conditions in a compost pile, they can just leave it if it’s on bare ground.

Thirdly, it’s quite funny that people are willing to dismiss citrus due to pesticides being used on them. People put pesticides on their piles even though they are used on other fruits and vegetables as well.

The truth is that pesticides may have been used on non-organic citrus fruit, but microorganisms in the compost break these down very well. This turns them into inert elements and thus makes the compost safe to use.

Lastly, it’s true that there are certain chemicals found in citrus used in organic pesticides. But when citrus is put in a compost pile, the oils that help make pesticides evaporate very quickly as the fruit breaks down, so they are no longer a problem. So don’t worry too much about that. They won’t scare away any of the good bugs you might want to keep in your garden.

Ultimately, while there is some argument against citrus, it is easily worked around. There is no real reason to avoid using citrus when composting. In fact, there are a few reasons why you should! Let’s look at those further.

Can I Compost Citrus – Oranges, Lemons, Limes and Grapefruit??

FAQ

What fruit should not be composted?

Citrus Peels: Oranges, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits have peels that can be slow to decompose and may make your compost too acidic, potentially harming plants. Onions and Garlic: These can repel earthworms, a vital component of healthy compost.

Are lemons too acidic for compost?

Citrus does contain some strong compounds, but none of them prevent or harm the composting process. I’ve been composting citrus peels for years and have never had a problem. Myth: Whole citrus cannot be added to the compost pile because they won’t break down.

Can you compost a whole lemon?

Choose the right citrus: The best citrus for composting is any type of orange. Lemon and grapefruit are also good, but avoid any other types. Cut the peel: Citrus peels can be composted whole, but it’ll take much longer. Cutting them into smaller pieces makes them break down much more quickly.

Why can’t citrus go in compost?

The natural chemicals and acidity in citrus peels and onions can kill worms and other microorganisms, which can slow down decomposition rates in your bin,” the nonprofit wrote in 2021.

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