Why? Because it's something that we all can do with our lofty leftovers and because if we do, our garbage won't be so darn smelly! Composting is a the keystone in the lifecycle of our food system. If you are already doing it, what methods do you use? If you're getting started, how can we help?
Alex,
To be honest with you, I am not certain of the science, but here is what I have found:
- Citrus peels can deter pests, which means that they could deter the worms and other organisms in your compost pile, however, I don't think it would kill them.
-Citrus is an acid, however, once metabolized by humans, it becomes alkaline.. therefore, it may be acidic at first, but if it's eaten by an organism, then it may alkalize the soil/compost.
The do nothing method:
-in nature, citrus would fall from a tree and biodegrade, becoming more soil, no matter how long it takes.
-At home, we usually throw all of our compost to the chickens. They eat what they want, and leave the rest. With what they leave, we build a compost pile, which becomes filled with worms and other organisms. We have never tried split testing with no citrus peels.
-If you don't have chickens, you could just throw it all in a compost bin and see what happens. Perhaps you could have two compost bins, and try it both with and without citrus.
It seems as if there could be more science behind the ol' citrus peel conundrum.
If you know of something, please do share!
Hello everyone! I remember staying with a friend who did composting and she discouraged me from throwing in lemon peels as she said it would adversely affect the pH of the compost and limit the extent to which it could be used to feed soil for certain plants. Is this true? Is the pH of the compost something that needs to be closely monitored? Thanks for the help!