Reduce food waste and create nutrient-rich garden soil by composting pineapples. Read on to learn the benefits of composting pineapple cores.
1. Add Nutrients to Compost
Compost is a soil amendment that improves soil quality by adding nutrients. Rotted organic material creates compost, and pineapples are a great source of organic plant fertilizer. Pineapple compost contains nutrients such as phosphorous and zinc, which encourage healthy plant growth. Plus, gardening with pineapple compost can reduce your use of synthetic fertilizer.
2. Improve Soil Texture
Another benefit of composting pineapple cores is that they improve soil texture. Compost decreases soil’s bulk density and improves its porosity, or the space between soil particles. This improves the ability of water and nutrients to permeate the soil and nourish plants.
You can compost every part of a pineapple. However, the core is fibrous and tough, so cut it into small pieces before adding it to your compost pile. Cutting the pineapple core increases its surface area and makes it decompose faster.
3. Increase Beneficial Microorganisms in Soil
Compost increases the concentration of organic matter in soil, which directly nourishes plants. But improving the organic content of soil also creates an environment for microorganisms—such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes—to flourish.
Bacteria decompose organic matter in soil, and fungi decompose organic matter and transform proteins into soluble nutrients that plants can absorb. Actinomycetes transform plant debris into organic matter. Enhance the presence of microorganisms in the compost, then add the compost to your soil to improve the biological processes necessary for plant growth.
4. Minimize Waste
Finally, composting pineapple cores is an excellent way to minimize waste. Most people simply throw out the core because the fibers make it too tough to eat. But if you don’t want to make soup stock, purees, or garnishes with pineapple cores, composting is an excellent eco-friendly alternative to throwing them out.
Another way to cut down on food waste is to use Juicernet’s automatic pineapple cutting machine, the Piñabar. The Piñabar precisely peels and cores the fruit, providing you with ready-to-eat pineapple in less than 20 seconds. Shop with us today to get the most out of every pineapple!
