Before you toss another orange or banana peel into the trash, stop and think about the potential benefits you may be throwing away. Like other kitchen scraps, these peels can be added to the compost bin or used directly in the garden as a replacement for chemical fertilizers or insecticides. You can use the peels to minimize household waste, reduce the use of chemicals and beautify the landscape.

Compost

Using banana and orange peels in the compost pile might be the first idea that comes to mind. Composting is the use of decomposed organic materials to replenish nutrients in the garden. The process combines the benefits of natural fertilizer with the benefits of minimizing waste materials. Two key ingredient types are needed to make balanced compost, including brown materials, such as dry leaves and straw -- materials that add carbon to the mix. Green materials, such as grass clippings and weeds, add nitrogen to the mix. Orange and banana peels are “green” ingredients that add nitrogen to the compost pile. As an added bonus, bananas also offer high concentrations of potassium and phosphorus.

Natural Fertilizer

Both peels add nutrients and nitrogen to the soil as they decompose. Banana peels are particularly effective for use as a natural fertilizer. They rot quickly if you bury them, offering rich stores for vital nutrients to the soil, including potassium, calcium, sulfur, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium. You can dry and grind peels to use as mulch, or apply them directly to planting areas.

Natural Pest Repellent

Avoid using potentially hazardous insecticides to repel aphids and ants from the garden by using orange and banana peels to keep the pests away. Cut up banana peels to bury 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil around plants that are prone to aphid infestations to repel and remove aphids from the area. Organic Authority recommends placing pieces of orange peel around affected plants or creating a tear in the orange peel and attaching it directly to the stem of the affected plant. Orange peels contain d-Limonene, a natural chemical that destroys the waxy coating on ants and aphids, causing them to suffocate and die. Orange peels are highly fragrant, giving off a repellent scent to keep ants and aphids away from the garden. You can also make orange oil by simmering orange peels and collecting the condensation to use as a natural repellent.

Other Uses