Onion peels for the garden: an old-fashioned remedy to invigorate plants
One of the old-times garden remedies that perhaps not everyone is familiar with, involves the use of onion peels / skins. It is a question of using only the outer skin - the dry one that we usually throw away because we can really do very little with it - unless we want to dye fabrics in a naturalistic way!
The peels of onions, in fact, enrich the soil with substances useful for plant growth, but also serve as a natural fungicide, thereby protecting various plant species from attack and diseases. A decoction (concentrate) made from onion peels has anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating and regenerative properties that are also useful for our plants. Read on to find out more:
Carotene, phytoncides, B vitamins and nicotinic acid: these are the substances found in the outermost part of the onion that we usually discard, and which are also useful in the cultivation of vegetables, especially tomatoes.
For tomatoes, it is recommended to fill a pot with onion skins and then fill it with water until all the skins are submerged. Boil, then cool and keep in a cool place for two days. Filter everything and dilute the concentrate (one part of the concentrate to three of water) and pour the product obtained at the base of each plant. This should be administered when the plants are still young, and preferably in the evening. This is done again when the tomato plants have produced flowers.
For cucumbers, the same preparation is sprinkled on the leaves of the plant to prevent fungal diseases and similar from appearing later. Otherwise, the soil can be irrigated using 3 liters of diluted concentrate per square meter.
For plants in general, as well as decorative /ornamental ones: fill a pot with as many peels as possible and that will be contained within a level that would be reached by one liter of water. Then add 8 liters of water and boil. Pour this liquid into a tank and keep it closed for a day. Then dilute in a ratio of 1: 5 and use the product for watering the plants, preferably always wetting the ground rather getting it on the leaves.
It can be used as a product to repel insects and pests: a bucket of onion peels, a few pieces of horticultural soap (the soft type with pure potassium) and two buckets of water (the water must be equal to double the volume of the peels). Everything is boiled to dissolve the soap, filtered to obtain only the liquid and sprayed every week on the at-risk plants. The leftovers can be placed in the ground at the base of the plants.
Even just burying dry peels can go a long way - it takes a little longer to release the useful components to the soil and plants, but is highly beneficial!
Have you ever tried using onion peels in your garden?
