This post on ways to use lemons in your garden may contain affiliate links. I earn a small commission off these links at no additional cost to you.
I am a huge fan of using household scraps in the garden. Lemons and lemon peels can be quite valuable to gardeners, so I am excited to share these 7 ways to use lemons in your garden!
Whether you are getting seedlings started, want to boost your compost, or want more acidic soil, these ways to use lemons in your garden can help you achieve some success fast.
In most cases, you don’t need the entire lemon. Just the lemon peel is in itself quite valuable. Here is how to get started so you can begin enjoying the benefits of lemons for yourself.
Are lemons good for your garden?
In short, yes! Lemons and especially lemon peels offer many gardening benefits. For example, peels can be added to the soil to adjust the acidity.
Many pests also detest the smell of lemons, so adding peels to areas where pests are active can help reduce their numbers.
Because lemon peels are nutrient rich, they are also ideal for your compost piles. When they break down, they can add much needed vitamins and minerals to the pile.
RELATED: Household Products That KILL Ants
Are lemons good for soil?
Lemons add acidity to the soil, so if your plants require this, lemons can surely help. Take the time to learn about the pH your plant requires, as not all plants will benefit from the acid lemon peels provide.
An easy way to add acidity to the soil is to dry the lemon peels and grind them into a powder. You can then stir the powder directly into the soil.
Do plants like lemon water?
NOT AT ALL! You may have seen our tutorial for how to make banana water fertilizer to help feed your plants.
Since then, many people have asked about other types of fruit water to feed plants. Lemon water is NOT a suitable plant food. DON’T do it!
Lemon water will act like acid rain if poured onto plants and can do more harm than good. If you want an easy fruit water plant food tutorial that will help instead of hurt, try the banana water tutorial above.
Ways to Use Lemon Peels in Your Garden
Now let’s take a look at useful ways to use lemon peels in your garden. These easy tricks can help you put those peels to use fast and effectively!
1. Add acidity to the soil by drying and then crushing the lemon peels into powder. Sprinkle the powder in the soil to raise acidity.
2. Lemon peels can be added in areas where pests such as gnats and mosquitoes are a problem. Just shred the peels and sprinkle them in problem areas.
3. Lemon peels can be tossed into your compost pile for a quick nutrient boost. They also help it smell better!
4. Repel cats and dogs from your garden by tossing some lemon peels around the plants. This can be helpful in areas where cats tend to spray.
5. Make a seed started for an empty lemon. Cut a lemon in half and clean out the fruit by juicing. Save the juice for other projects. You can then use the empty half as a seed starter. Just fill with soil and seed.
6. Attract butterflies to your garden by adding lemon and other citrus peels to a shallow dish for feeding.
7. Lemon peels can be used to clean dirty garden tools. Just wipe and rinse well to get rid of grime and bacteria. Dry well to avoid rust. This helps tools last longer and saves you money!
Can lemon peels be composted?
Yes! If you want to start simple with lemon peels, just begin by using them in your compost! Lemon peels and other citrus peels are quite beneficial in compost piles.
Check out how to make a compost bin and see 25 other items you can compost. You will never want to toss out kitchen scraps again!
As you can see there are all sorts of helpful ways to use lemons in your garden! Whether you want to repel pests or add nutrients, lemons definitely have some value.
Have you tried any of these ways to use lemons in YOUR garden? If not, give them a try!
Don’t forget to see what other gardening content we have been working on:
– Ways to Use Eggshells in Your Garden
– Ways to Use Banana Peels in Your Garden
– Ways to Use Orange Peels in Your Garden
