These unwanted foods could be beneficial in your garden
You can make good use of your Christmas leftovers(Image: Getty Images)
A former royal gardener has urged UK households not to bin certain Christmas leftovers during the festive period. As December 25 approaches and homes fill with food, presents and festive wrapping, many people often throw things away to clean up and create more space.
But according to Jack Stooks, who worked for King Charles at Highgrove for 21 years, it turns out there are things that can be reused rather than thrown away. Jack says Christmas leftovers can be put to good use in the garden, from raw vegetable scraps to wrapping paper.
Speaking exclusively to Heart Bingo, Jack shares his simple, practical tips on how festive waste can be reused outdoors, helping households reduce rubbish during the festive season and benefit your garden going into the New Year. “Ideally, if you’ve got anything that’s not cooked, like vegetable or potato peelings – all of those kinds of things are perfect to put in compost,” the former royal gardener shares.
“There’s no need to waste cooked food, but any of the raw peelings, that’s all compostable and quite easy to go into the compost for use in the garden next year. You don’t want to put cooked products into the compost. For cooked foods, it’s better to use them in soups or stock, or even in pet food. Avoid anything containing garlic, onion or chocolate if giving it to dogs.”
You can use your potato peelings in the garden(Image: Getty Images)
Jack also says that you can reuse wrapping paper in gardens. “You can shred paper and add it into the compost, where it will slowly rot down. This is useful if you have a small amount of paper from a small gathering, but if you have large amounts then it’s a bit harder,” he advises.
“Just make sure you are putting small amounts in there at a time. A reasonable amount can be shredded and composted. You need to be careful with wrapping paper that has the metallic side to it, so just check which type you’re trying to get rid of. You can also recycle wrapping paper into mulch to regulate soil temperatures and prevent weeds.
“It’s the same principle – if you’re making it into compost, you can use that on the borders. Paper’s made out of wood pulp, so it’s similar to wood chippings. But if you shred your paper and chuck it on your border, the wind will blow it everywhere. You’re better off composting it, mixing it into the compost, and then adding it to the soil once it’s rotted down.”
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