Experienced composters know the usual suspects when it comes to kitchen scraps. Carrot peels, coffee grounds, and eggshells are some of the first things to add to the compost bin. Eggshells in particular are a good source of essential macronutrients, such as soil-enriching calcium carbonate, phosphorus (an essential nutrient for growth) and potassium for strong roots. But there’s one more kitchen scrap that offers similar benefits that’s often overlooked when it comes to composting, and it’s one of the tastiest ingredients in the kitchen. That’s right, we’re talking about garlic peels.
The outer layers of garlic are the first to go when slicing and dicing the delicious bulbs for your meal. But this can actually be an essential help in enriching your compost. Garlic peels contain beneficial nutrients like phosphorus and calcium which help prevent sulfur and fungus for faster plant growth. And unlike eggshells, the thin, papery shell breaks down quickly in compost.
successful For the sake of the house Creating rich organic compost for your plants involves layering green material (such as grass, green leaves, vegetables) and brown material (such as hay, cardboard, brown leaves). Garlic peel layers are considered brown material when it comes to home composting, as they are the dry parts of vegetables left behind, like onion or potato peels. Just add the peel to your next brown layer.
Best ways to incorporate garlic peels into your compost
The first step in cooking is to peel the garlic. When first preparing your garlic, make sure there are no grocery stickers or tags attached to the peel. Unless their labels are advertised as biodegradable, the glue and paper of these tags can disrupt the integrity of your compost and cause unwanted chemicals to leach into your soil.
Cutting your bark into small pieces will break it up easily but isn’t necessary. Scraps can be added to your compost pile as is and take up very little space. This makes garlic peels ideal for small containers as well. The bark is light, flaky and has little odor, so it will not cause unwanted odors, another reason is that it is practical. Something to add to compost.
To take your garlic compost to the next level, try adding both peel and skin. Everything from bark to cloves to sprouts or old bulbs is compostable and adds important nutrients to your garden. Cloves have a strong smell, but the strong smell can help repel some unwanted critters. However, the compounds in cloves can also be off-putting to beneficial organisms, such as earthworms (if you Preparing vermicompost), so unlike bark, this should be added sparingly.
