The Orange Peel Hack That'll Help Your Hydrangeas Flourish

If you are a keen gardener, you may know that the components of soil are varied and, the more diverse they are, the more nutrients plants are able to take from it. Well, hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are no different. These attractive blooms do best in soil which is relatively acidic because without it they can struggle to soak up the minerals they need to thrive, resulting in stunted growth and wilting flowers. Some gardeners have therefore suggested that the acids in orange peels may be an excellent solution to helping hydrangeas grow strong and tall.

A research team from Princeton University discovered that orange skins left in an area of a Costa Rican national park resulted in an increase of 176% in the amount of organic material such as trees and shrubs. While the study was conducted over a longer period of time, it may suggest that the oranges' acidity, and the other minerals they contain such as calcium and potassium, may help to diversify the soil's makeup. So, how should you go about adding orange peels to your hydrangea flower bed?

Planting orange peels directly into your flower bed may seem less complicated than learning how to compost, but it is important to remember that the peels need to decompose in order to release their nutrients into the soil. Orange skins take longer than some other kitchen scraps to break down, so the acidity, which may benefit your hydrangeas, will take longer to be released than some other methods, such as coffee grounds or fertilizer.

The first thing to note is that the peels should be completely dry before you add them to the soil because if they are laid out near the surface, they can attract fruit flies and other pests. Once the peels are dry, cut them up into smaller chunks or grind them down into a powder to enable them to degrade more quickly and begin releasing their nutrients. Then, simply sprinkle over the soil or layer it in with a trowel. It is recommended that gardeners only use organic oranges to avoid unwanted chemicals leaking into the earth surrounding the plants. As an added bonus, dried orange peels may also work as a natural pest control remedy as their strong scent could help to cover up the smell of the plant and confuse potential invaders.