Why Are Apple Peels Good for Plants?

Function

• Compost consists of organic materials such as apple peels and other food scraps, natural fibers and green waste from the yard such as leaves and grass clippings. As the compost biodegrades it becomes a dark, rich soil-like substance that can be tilled into garden soil. It enhances drainage and structure, adds beneficial nutrients and microorganisms, and loosens heavy soils.

Benefits

• Apple peels contain antioxidants. When the peels are added to a plant's soil, they release these nutrients and benefit the plant much like they benefit a person who eats an apple. The antioxidants protect the health of the plant's photosynthesis process by reducing free radicals in stressed plants.

Expert Insight

• C. L. Barden, a horticulture researcher, found that apples with higher concentrations of antioxidants in their peels have a longer shelf life than varieties with fewer antioxidants. An agricultural researcher, E. F. Anet, found 11 separate antioxidants in apple peels that work together to prevent cold storage spoilage in apples.