How to use kitchen waste for gardening

Sharing is caring!

Get tips on How to use kitchen waste for gardening to improve your soil naturally and set up a healthier growing space for your backyard garden.

Gardening 101 starts with organic tips that will improve where you grow from the ground up.

It takes three things to grow a healthy garden. Plenty of sunshine, just the right amount of water each day, and healthy soil that is full of nutrients and free of disease.

Not all soil is suitable for planting. Most soil is missing key nutrients needed for plants to flourish. Depending on where you live, your soil may need to be higher in certain areas and lower in others. That is why it is important to prep your soil long before you plant to encourage better growth.

How Do You Know If Your Soil Is Good For Growing a Garden?

When planning a garden, assessing your soil will help you to know if you need to step in and help.

Start with its texture—ideal garden soil is loose, giving roots the freedom to grow and spread. Make sure it’s rich in essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for healthy plants.

Next, check the pH level to know if your soil is more acidic or alkaline. Most plants thrive in slightly acidic soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, but some plants, like broccoli and asparagus, prefer alkaline soil. To be sure, you can research levels online or read the seed packets before planting.

Finally, healthy soil tends to move with life. Hold some in your hand, and you may see insects or worms moving around. These all contribute by breaking down organic matter and releasing nutrients needed for healthy soil to grow in.

How can you check your soil’s nutrients?

To check your soil’s nutrient levels, you can follow these steps:

1. Soil Test Kit: Purchase a home soil test kit from a garden center or online. These kits usually test for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. You should follow the instructions to collect a soil sample and use the kit to analyze it, but most test kits are easy to use.
2. Professional Soil Testing: For more detailed results, you can send a soil sample to a local agricultural extension office or a professional soil testing lab. In our area, the extension office offers this service and does a pretty thorough job in their testing.
3. Digital Soil Testers: Digital soil testers can provide quick readings of soil pH and moisture levels, and some advanced models also measure nutrient content.

Luster Leaf Rapitest Soil Test KitPooTe Soil Test Kit – 4-in-1 Soil Testing Kit with Test Tube & Tablets – 40 Tests Upgraded Accurate Tester for pH Nitrogen Phosphorus & Potassium in Garden Lawn Yard Vegetable4-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter Digital PH Meter/Soil Moisture/Plant Temperature/Sunlight Intensity, Backlight LCD Display, Soil Test Meter for Garden, Lawn, Plant Care, Farm and Indoor Outdoor Plants

 

Whatever method you choose, be sure to record your findings in your gardening binder. This information from year to year can help you to better improve your soil each growing season.

How to Use Kitchen Waste For Gardening

One easy and cost-effective way to improve your soil is by using kitchen waste in your garden. Instead of throwing away food scraps, you can repurpose them to add valuable nutrients to your soil.

Best Waste for Gardens

Some of the best kitchen waste to use in your garden include:

• Eggshells: Crushed eggshells are a great source of calcium for plants. They also help to aerate the soil and deter pests like slugs.
• Coffee Grounds: Coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. They can also help to lower soil pH and attract earthworms.
• Vegetable Scraps: Any vegetable scraps, such as carrot peels, potato skins, or onion tops, can be composted and added to your garden soil.
• Fruit Peels: Fruit peels contain valuable nutrients like potassium and phosphorus. Be sure to compost them before adding them to your soil.
• Tea Bags: Used tea bags are another great source of nitrogen and can help to increase soil fertility.

What Not to Use in Your Garden

While many kitchen waste items can benefit your garden, there are some things you should avoid adding to your soil:

• Meat and Dairy Products: These can attract pests and may cause unpleasant odors.
• Oils and Fats: These can create an imbalance in the soil’s pH levels.
• Citrus Peels: While small amounts of citrus peels are fine, too much can be harmful to plants as they contain high levels of acidity.

How to Use Kitchen Waste in Your Garden

There are a few different ways you can use kitchen waste in your garden, depending on the type of waste and your gardening preferences. Here are a few ideas:

#1. Composting

Composting is one of the best ways to use kitchen waste in your garden because it creates nutrient-rich soil that plants love. You can create a compost bin in your backyard, or even use a small indoor composter if you live in an apartment.

How it Works:

1. To compost kitchen waste, you will need to layer it with “brown” materials like dried leaves or shredded paper for the right balance of carbon and nitrogen.
2. Turn the compost occasionally to aerate it and speed up the decomposition process.
3. Add the finished compost to your garden soil, working it into the ground.
4. You can also top-dress your garden with compost to add a slow release of nutrients throughout the growing season.

Miracle-Gro Large Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler – Easy-Turn, Fast-Working System – All-Season, Heavy-Duty, High Volume Composter with 2 Sliding Doors – (2 – 27.7gallon /105 Liter)Electric Kitchen Composter for Indoor: 2.5L Large Capacity Odorless Smart Compost Bin with Detachable Carbon Filter, Updated Grinding Blade Turn Waste into Pre-Compost for Plants More EffectivelyVIVOSUN Outdoor Tumbling Composter Dual Rotating Batch Compost Bin, 43 Gallon Black Door

 

#2. Top Mulching

Some kitchen waste items, such as coffee grounds and vegetable scraps, can be used as mulch for your garden. One of the benefits of mulching a garden is that it helps to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature, making it beneficial for the overall health of your plants.

How to Use It:

1. Shred or chop kitchen waste into small pieces and spread it around your plants.
2. Avoid placing mulch too close to the base of plants, as this can attract pests.
3. As the mulch decomposes, it will add nutrients to the soil for healthier plants.

#3. Trench Mulching

If you have a vegetable garden, you can use kitchen waste directly in the soil by burying it in trenches. This method is similar to composting but requires less effort.

How to Do It:

1. Dig a trench in your garden bed.
2. Layer kitchen waste with brown materials and topsoil.
3. Cover the trench with more topsoil and water well.
4. As the waste decomposes, it will release nutrients into the soil for plants to absorb.
5. Repeat this process in different areas of your garden as needed.

#4. Liquid Fertilizer

Some kitchen waste, like fruit and vegetable scraps, can be used to make a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer for your plants. This method is perfect for container or straw bale gardens.

How to Make It:

1. Collect fruit and vegetable scraps in a bucket or bin.
2. Cover the scraps with water and let them sit for 1-2 weeks.
3. Dilute the mixture with water (1 part mixture to 10 parts water).
4. Use as a fertilizer by watering your plants with it once every few weeks.

#5. Worm Composting

Worm composting, also known as vermi-composting, is another way to turn kitchen waste into nutrient-rich soil for your plants. This method uses red worms to break down kitchen scraps and turn them into a high-quality fertilizer called worm castings.

How to Set It Up:

1. Purchase a worm bin with proper ventilation and drainage holes.
2. Add bedding material such as shredded paper or coconut coir to the bin.
3. Introduce red worms to the bin along with some kitchen waste.
4. Make sure to balance out the green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials in the bin for optimal composting.
5. Harvest the worm castings every few months and use them as a natural fertilizer for your plants.

Additional Composting Tips

Keep your composting setup running smoothly and produce nutrient-rich compost for your garden with these tips.

• Focus on a balanced mix of green materials like fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and grass clippings for nitrogen and brown materials such as dried leaves, cardboard, and straw for carbon.
• Turn your compost regularly to aerate it and maintain moisture levels to speed up decomposition. 
• Avoid adding meat, dairy, or oily foods to your compost as they may attract pests.
• Cut up larger kitchen scraps into smaller pieces to speed up the composting process.
• Keep an eye on moisture levels in your compost bin and add water if necessary. You can also cover the bin to retain moisture.

• Place your compost bin in a shady spot to prevent it from drying out and overheating.
• To speed up the process, you can add additional microorganisms, such as compost starter or finished compost, to your bin.
• Use a kitchen compost pail or small bucket with a lid to collect food scraps before adding them to your compost bin. This will help reduce odors and keep pests away.
• If you notice any unpleasant odors coming from your compost, it may be a sign of too much nitrogen. Add more brown materials to balance it out.

Turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil for your plants. Composting not only reduces waste but also benefits the environment and improves your garden’s health and productivity.

Whether you have a small patio garden or a large backyard setup, you can encourage healthier soil by composting.

Turn your kitchen waste into gardening support and improve where you grow your food.

How to Grow Guides:

Get step-by-step help on how to plant, tend, grow, and harvest the vegetables in your backyard garden.

• How to Grow Tomatoes
• How to Grow Onions
• How to Grow Squash