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How to Bury Food Scraps in the Garden
Gardening enthusiasts are increasingly discovering the importance of composting as a sustainable practice. One method gaining popularity is to bury food scraps in the garden. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits and process of burying food scraps, and how it can transform your garden into a thriving ecosystem.
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Burying food scraps is one of the easiest composting methods for small-space and beginner gardeners.
How to Bury Food Scraps in the Garden
In this post, you will learn about the environmental benefits and sustainable gardening practices associated with burying food scraps in the garden. We will discover the types of food scraps that are ideal for composting and how to properly prepare your garden for this eco-friendly practice.
Step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process of burying food scraps, maintaining the pile, and planting in the area after decomposition. Additional tips and considerations provide valuable insights on managing pests, alternative composting methods, and utilizing food scraps for other garden practices.
Why Bury Food Scraps?
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Burying food scraps offers multiple environmental benefits. By diverting organic waste from landfills, we reduce the emission of harmful greenhouse gases. Additionally, burying food scraps enriches the soil, leading to healthier plant growth and reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers.
Why Bury Food Scraps Over Composting?
Why would you bury your food scraps directly in the garden when you could put it in your compost pile? Well, what you should be asking is: why would you add food scraps to your compost pile when you could bury it directly into the garden. Burying food scraps offers numerous benefits that composting doesn’t
By burying food scraps, you completely bypass the 6-12 month composting process. That being said, it also means that you don’t need to have a separate area for composting. So, not only is it good for beginner gardeners, but also small-space gardeners.
Types of Food Scraps Suitable for Burying
Not all food scraps are suitable for burying. Avoid burying animal products and oily/greasy foods, as they can attract pests or cause unpleasant odors. Ideal food scraps for burying include fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and plant-based leftovers.
That being said, I have buried fish scraps, fats, and animal bones and meat. So when somebody says not to bury a certain food, don’t follow it too religiously. It is your garden; experiment with different food scraps and see what works and doesn’t work for your plants.
Preparing the Garden for Burying Food Scraps
Choose an appropriate location in your garden for burying food scraps. Dig a trench or hole, ensuring it matches the depth and size of your food scraps, for optimal decomposition. Don’t forget to turn the soil and mix it with organic matter to create a conducive environment for decomposition.
The healthier and more active your soil is, the more likely the food scraps will break down into bioavailable nutrients for your plants.
Step-by-Step Guide to Burying Food Scraps
![types of scraps to bury food scraps in the garden](https://therealgardener.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/food-scraps-INSIDE-1024x678.png)
- Collecting Food Scraps: Start collecting food scraps in a dedicated container in your kitchen, ensuring it’s covered and properly sealed. Make sure to tell all your family members not to throw away their apple cores or banana peels, and to put it in the container instead.
- Digging the Trench/Hole: Choose a spot in your garden and dig a trench or hole of the appropriate depth and size. It needs to be deep enough that animals won’t try to dig up the food.
- Burying the Food Scraps: Transfer the collected food scraps into the trench or hole, distributing them evenly. Make sure there is a good variety of food scraps, not just banana peels.
- Covering the Food Scraps: Cover the buried food scraps with soil and a layer of mulch to aid in decomposition and prevent odor or pest issues. I also like to put a paper towel on top of the scraps before I put the soil on.
For an informative visual, check out this video where I bury food scraps in my garden.
Maintaining the Food Scrap Compost
To ensure successful decomposition, keep the hole moist by watering it regularly. Monitor the composting process, occasionally looking to see if it has decomposed. Look for signs of a healthy compost pile, such as a dark, crumbly texture and earthy smell.
When to Plant Into the Hole
You can plant into the composting hole only after the food scraps have been fully broken down into nutrients. Usually, this takes 1-3 weeks. If you plant into the hole before the scraps are broken down, then your plants will be at risk of root-rot and other problems.
To ensure you get the most out of your burying process, plant your long-season summer crops into the holes after it has fully decomposed. These are the plants that are going to need the most nutrients to give you the biggest harvest.
Additional Tips and Considerations
To manage pests and avoid attracting unwanted animals, cover the compost pile with a layer of leaves, straw, or horticultural fleece. If limited on space or time, consider alternative composting methods such as vermicomposting or using a compost tumbler.
Whatever it is, find what works for you and for your plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fats, dairy, cooked foods, and meat scraps should generally not be composted or buried directly into the garden.
While leftover food shouldn’t be buried into the garden, it can be used in the Lomi composter. The Lomi composter is a great device that turns ALL food scraps into nutrient-rich pre-compost. Check out the following link if you want to buy a Lomi composter for yourself: Buy Lomi now!
While there are many benefits, burying food scraps into the garden can also attract unwanted pests, such as squirrels, birds, and racoons.
For most scraps, it should take about 1-3 weeks when burying directly into the garden. When composting traditionally, it can take anywhere from 6-12 months to become usable compost.
Products:
For organic, non-GMO garden seeds, check out SeedsNow.
For gardening equipment, check out Bootstrap Farmer.
For organic all-purpose fertilizers, check out Arber.
Conclusion
By burying food scraps in your garden, you can actively contribute to a more sustainable future while enhancing the health and productivity of your garden. Embrace this eco-friendly practice, reduce waste, and transform your garden into a thriving oasis of life and abundance. Start burying your food scraps today and witness the incredible benefits it brings to your garden and the environment.
If you want to learn more about gardening, foraging, nature, and sustainability, check out The Real Gardener on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.