on Citrus Powder as Fertilizer: How to Reuse Untreated Orange Peels
If you have oranges, tangerines, and lemons at home, why not use their peels to make an all-natural homemade fertilizer for your plants? The process is really quite simple, but always remember one thing: to make this fertilizer, the fruit from which you take the peel must be untreated and strictly organic. We start by taking our peels and storing them in a bag.
When we have accumulated a significant amount (no more than a few days), we begin the drying phase. To do this, we can choose either to dry them in the open air by exposing them to direct sunlight, or to use the oven and bake them for a few hours at 100°C until they are baked. If we choose the second method, simply arrange the peels on a baking sheet, place them in the oven, and keep the door slightly open during cooking to let all the steam escape. To do this, we can use a wooden spoon by placing it between the door and the oven closure.
This will usually take 4 to 6 hours. To avoid this process consuming too much energy, we suggest drying as many peels as possible together so that you only have to repeat the process once every few months and not often. Now, once the peels are dried, we can put them in a blender. We used an electric one, but if you also have a mortar at home, you can easily use it. Once they are reduced to crumbs, pass them through a sieve. This will separate the powder from the pieces that have not yet been well chopped. Put them back in the blender. We can now transfer the resulting powder to an airtight glass container and use it as fertilizer for plants or for newly planted seeds.