How To Use Onion Peels in your Garden?

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Hello friends. I hope all of you are safe and doing well amid the Corona Crisis. Please practice Social Distancing. Please pray for the safety of others. And stay home, stay safe and stay green :)

Throwing away the precious onion peels? What? Onion peels: Yup, you heard it right people. Who would have thought that even onion peels have immense benefits? Onion is one of the most versatile vegetables used in almost all cuisines across the world. But most of us, being unaware of this thin papery treasure, toss them away in the trash bin. 

 

Photo by Sven Johanson on Unsplash

How To Use Onion Peels in your Garden?

 

But, did you know that onion peels are essentially the storehouse of necessary nutrients? From vital vitamins to flavonoids (anti-oxidants), onion peels have it all. You can use these magic onion peels in multiple ways and level up your gardening game. So, without further ado, let's get into how to use Onion peels in the garden. 

 

1] Mulch: Onion peels can function as an effective mulch for your garden. Mulch helps retain moisture for a longer duration of time. It also checks the growth of weeds. Onion Peels will eventually decompose and add up to soil organic matter and also provide essential micronutrients such as Potassium and Calcium. This has an added benefit of increasing soil fertility. 

Read Also: Fastest Growing Corona Crisis Crops

2] Composting: As mentioned above, they prove an excellent source of organic nutrients. So next time don't throw this magic onion peels into the garbage bin. Instead, toss them into your compost and get rewarded with nutrient-rich compost.

Note: If you are using earthworms in your compost, then avoid adding onion peels as it may prove as a deterrent for them.

Photo by Geronimo Giqueaux on Unsplash

How To Use Onion Peels in your Garden?

3] Onion peel Fertilizer: There are 2 basic methods for preparing nutrient-packed onion peel fertilizer:

A) Boiling method: Add onion peels in a container having water and boil it for a few hours. After cooling, strain the mixture, and apply directly into the garden. Make sure you dilute the mixture if you have prepared a concentrated solution.

Photo by Maria Hochgesang on Unsplash

How To Use Onion Peels in your Garden?

B) Soaking method: Some experts refrain from suggesting the boiling method as it may affect the necessary nutrient content of onion peels. So let's take a look at the soaking method: Soak the onion peels in water and let in soak for 12 hours. Strain the liquid and use it in your garden as per your requirement. Make sure you mix it well before straining as all the essential nutrients might be stuck on the walls of the container.

Read more: Heat tolerant plants you can grow in this scorching summer heat

Onion peel juice: Onion peel juice can be rightly called "The Elixir" of the Gardening as it can act as an all-rounder: from pesticide to a rooting hormone. So let's take a look at some of these preparations:

Also read: Store bought veggies you can regrow at home

A) Onion peel Pesticide: Grind onion/ onion peel, garlic/garlic peels, and cinnamon into a fine paste. Add the required amount of water to make a homogeneous solution. Let it steep overnight. You can add 2-3 drops of liquid detergent or soap solution for surfactant benefit. If you want an all-natural pesticide, you can experiment by adding turmeric powder and chili powder into the solution.

Photo by iMattSmart on Unsplash

How To Use Onion Peels in your Garden?

B) Rooting hormone: Onion peel juice possesses anti-bacterial properties along with antioxidants such as flavonoids and essential micronutrients such as potassium and calcium, which makes it an ideal rooting hormone. It can be used with other rooting hormones such as Aloe vera juice, Willow tea.

Wanna know ROOTING HORMONES you can make at home??? Just dig in :)

So, that was all about How to use Onion peels in your garden? Did you find it helpful? Do you have any questions? Do you have anything to add to the post? Please let us know in the comment section. 

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