6 Ways to Use Lemon Peels in Your Garden to Prevent Pests, Improve Soil, and More

The fresh tang of a juicy lemon is a welcome complement to sweet or savory recipes. But what do you do with leftover peels and rinds? During gardening season, you can put them to good use in your outdoor spaces. 

Lemons have natural acids that make the peels an effective repellent for mosquitoes, ticks, and other pests while also attracting pollinators. Rather than throwing them away, we spoke to experts who shared the best ways to use lemon peels in your garden. 

Make a Pest Repellent

Try using lemons to make a pest spray for your garden. Boil six cut lemons in 4 cups of water and let it steep overnight, then decant the liquid into a spray bottle (and compost the fruits). "One can add mint leaves to the recipe to add another level of fragrance pests hate or a teaspoon of dish soap to spray on plants with aphids," she says. Use the all-natural spray in garden beds and reapply as needed to maintain the scent.

You can also place the peels around the base of your plants or the edge of your garden to make a physical barrier that deters pests in tandem with the peels' unwelcome fragrance, says Carrie Spoonemore of Park Seed.

Boost Soil Acidity

The citric acid in lemon peels can also affect the acidity of your soil when added to your compost pile. Place lemon peels in your compost bin with other organic material; after six months of turning the piles or bin, the aged compost can be applied to the soil around acid-loving plants, like blueberries and azaleas, Roethling says

If you don't have a compost pile, you can still use the peels to adjust the soil's acidity. "Dried and ground into a powder, they can be sprinkled directly into the soil to subtly adjust pH levels," says Sara Rubens, certified garden coach and founder of Seed to Sanctuary. 

Fertilize the Soil

Use the vitamins and nutrients in lemon peels to improve your garden's health by turning them into a liquid fertilizer, says Rubens. To make a "gentle, homemade" fertilizer, she says to soak chopped peels in water for a couple of days, then strain and use the nutrient-infused water to feed your plants.

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Attract Butterflies

Encourage butterflies to visit and pollinate your garden by leaving lemon peels around your backyard, says Roethling. "Lemon peels attract butterflies, who are drawn to the acidity," she says. "Keep lemon peels in dishes throughout the garden, and be sure to replace them before mold sets in." This approach offers aromatherapeutic benefits, too. "Gardeners find fragrances relaxing, and the aroma of lemon throughout the garden may reduce stress or make memories just as well as fragrant flowers," she says. 

Clean Your Tools

Keeping your garden tools clean minimizes the spread of disease in your garden. "The natural citric acid in lemon peels makes them excellent for cleaning garden tools—just rub the peel over dirty surfaces to cut through grime before rinsing and drying," says Rubens.

Grow New Seeds

Start new plants in hollowed-out lemon peels. "For a fun and eco-friendly seed-starting option, consider using halved lemon peels as biodegradable pots," says Rubens. "After scooping out the pulp, poke a drainage hole in the bottom, fill with seed-starting mix, and plant your seeds. When the seedlings are ready to transplant, the whole lemon cup can be planted directly into the soil, where it will decompose and enrich the earth."