Onions are very useful and in demand in themselves: they are eaten with pleasure raw, fried and boiled, and they are used to treat various ailments. Its shell is usually used as a natural dye. However, this is not all that can be said about onions. Onion peels - indispensable universal remedy for garden and apartment plants. What can onion waste be useful for in the country and at home, how to prepare and use onion infusion and decoction? Let's talk about this in more detail.
About the benefits of onion peels
- This is a natural product. It cannot harm plants.
- The husk is full of minerals and vitamins, it is healthier than the onion itself.
- It doesn't cost money like other fertilizers and insecticides.
- It is easy to find, because every housewife always has it at hand.
- The decoction and infusion are simple to prepare and easy to use.
- There is no need to use protection for hands and other parts of the body when working with the solution, as it is non-toxic.
- Universal application.
A few words about application
- Feeding. The plants have weakened and lost healthy looking, wither away, develop poorly? Onion peels will come to the rescue. It will bring indoor and garden crops back to life. It will also strengthen and improve the health of young seedlings.
- . Before planting seedlings, the soil must be disinfected (especially if it was taken from the garden). To destroy the larvae of dangerous pests, as well as spores of pathogenic organisms, onion peels are ideal.
- If the plant could not be protected from harmful insects or is sick, a decoction of onion waste will help it.
- After planting flower seedlings or vegetable crops Has there been frost? You can restore the vitality of affected plants with an infusion of onion skins.
In what form should onion peels be used?
- Decoction.
- Infusion.
- Onion waste in pure form.
Decoctions and infusions are used for watering and spraying. The dried husks are placed in the soil in its pure form to improve quality composition soil.
Onion peels for seedlings
- Carotene, which is present in large quantities in carrots. Onion peel also contains this component. What does it give to plants? This substance has antioxidant properties. It is necessary so that weakened and damaged seedlings regain their strength. Flowers grown on the balconies of large cities, where the air is heavily polluted by exhaust gases, also need carotene. Garden crops (tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, etc.), by absorbing this element, strengthen their immunity.
- Phytoncides are components that accumulate in large quantities in onion skins. They destroy harmful bacteria, fungus, some types of microorganisms in the soil layer. For seedlings, these elements are useful in that they prevent the development of “blackleg” (fungal disease). Tomatoes often suffer from this. To use phytoncides with maximum effect Onion peels must be soaked in water to prepare an infusion.
- Vitamin B complex. It is in large volume present in onions and their skins. The use of onion peelings as a top dressing in the form of an infusion will saturate the sprouts of young seedlings with useful nutrients. They grow faster, the leaves become stronger, the stems become thicker. In the future, seedlings will produce a harvest earlier, and the roots of adult plants will not rot.
- Vitamin group RR. The set of these vitamins is known under another name: nicotinic acid. A small dose of such microelements has a beneficial effect on the development of any type of plant crops, from their planting to the ripening of fruits. If plants suffer from lack of light, nicotinamide will come in handy. This substance will strengthen root system, this is especially good for crops growing on clay soils.
Use peelings of red onions as a top dressing. It contains a large number of quercetin. It is very useful for young seedlings: it will strengthen the immune system, heal diseased sprouts, and accelerate growth.
More about the types of applications
- Decoction
Preparing the decoction is very simple. Take a few handfuls of onion peelings, mix with water in an enamel bucket, and boil. Then let it brew and wait until it cools down. The prepared product is filtered and diluted to the desired condition.
You can prepare a decoction in small quantities. Take two liters of hot boiling water for a glass of onion peelings.
Garden plants, such as cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, are watered up to three times at intervals of one week. Can be sprayed. This will destroy harmful microorganisms in the soil and enrich it with useful elements.
To treat the soil where the seedlings will grow, you need to water or spray it several times. The broth should be strong enough. This way you will disinfect the planting site for future plants. By treating the seedlings, you will increase their protective properties.
The fight against the “black leg” is also possible with the help of onion peel. Seedlings are susceptible to this disease (especially tomatoes). Preventive measures: watering the soil with seedlings once every seven days with a decoction of onion skins.
- Infusion
How to cook? Firm the onion skins well and fill two glasses. Pour two liters of boiling water over it all. Leave for two days and strain. The prepared product is diluted as needed.
We fertilize tomato seedlings. The concentrated infusion must be diluted: take one part of the infusion and three parts of water. Feed the seedlings two to three days after planting. Can be used if a young tomato looks lethargic and its leaves begin to turn yellow.
To defeat rot and fungus, you need to water the roots of young plants.
When controlling pests in the garden, twice during the growing and maturing season, seedlings should be treated with infusion by spraying.
You can dilute the infusion in the following proportion: one part infusion and two parts water. Add a little laundry soap there: take 1 liter of solution for 2 g. This product will destroy harmful insects such as aphids, mites, thrips. Three liters of this infusion can be equated to several tens of liters of toxic insecticides.
Do not store decoctions and infusions long time. The liquid may deteriorate and become stinky. With this method you will only harm the plants.
- Peel in its purest form
The soil is fertilized with it before the seedlings are planted. Add husks at the rate of three liters per square meter soil. The soil is dug up along with the applied fertilizer.
Onion peelings are sometimes scattered around the greenhouse to repel pests.
You can sprinkle the soil in a container with seedlings with onion skins. What happens when you water the seedlings? Penetrating through the husk, water will saturate the soil with useful substances.
Not all houseplants love onion skins. For example, in the case of ficus trees, such feeding will not give anything, and in some cases it can even harm (plants slow down in growth).
Before spending money on expensive and toxic products for feeding plants or controlling garden pests, take a look around. Perhaps you will have an affordable, free, easy-to-use and equally effective remedy at hand.
A good owner will never throw away such natural and useful product like onion skins. Our ancestors knew about the benefits of this natural component. Use the wisdom you've accumulated over the years and you won't regret it.
According to statistics, the average family in our country eats about 120 kg per year. This amounts to about 4-6 kg of husk, which has many useful macro- and microelements. Apply onion skin as in medicinal purposes, and in the prevention of gardening. You can water the soil in the garden with a solution from the husk, enriching it with useful minerals.
Onion peel: composition and properties
Onion skin contains many organic substances and vitamins. Among them: phytoncides, groups B and PP. After applying onion peels to all these substances, they are activated and benefit the plants and soil. 
Carotene(orange-yellow pigment) is an active antioxidant that can suppress the production of free radicals. It destroys any harmful microorganisms in the soil, thus protecting the plant. The addition of carotene to balcony flower plants helps to increase their endurance, especially in “gas-polluted” cities. This macronutrient is also used for “nursing” seedlings.
Did you know? A preparation is made from phytoncides based on onion peels.« Imanin» , which is used to treat purulent wounds.
Phytoncides- these are biologically active volatile substances (BALS), which are released by plants during their life to suppress the activity of any foreign microorganisms. During the plant period, phytoncides are concentrated in all parts, but there are especially many of them on the peel. BALVs are capable of destroying fungal spores and even single-celled organisms such as the ciliate slipper. To prevent "" in seedlings, use a tincture of onion peels, because it copes well with this disease.
The largest percentage of all microelements in onions are B vitamins. During growth, these vitamins help plants process carbohydrates into nutrients
. If you use the tincture of the peel as a fertilizer, then these vitamins will help any plants strengthen the root system and stems. 
Important! Onion peels also contain a small amount of vitamin E, which helps plants improve photosynthesis processes.
Vitamins of the PP group (the substance is also known as “nicotinic acid”) can improve the processes of processing nitrogen into oxygen and stimulate the processing of sulfur in plants. These vitamins will be very useful for plants that grow in the shade and need sunlight. Nicotinic acid can strengthen roots; trees and grasses growing in alumina especially need this. 
How is the product used?
Onion peels are used as a fertilizer in the garden, in the vegetable garden, on the balcony and on the terrace, and we will tell you below which plants to use and in what dosages. It is believed that a decoction in any quantity will not harm the plant. The soil will absorb the liquid, take all the necessary microelements, and the rest will remain in the soil.
Use of decoction
A decoction of onion peels can be sprayed on plants, as well as watered at the roots, since the use of this solution is safe for any plant: it is used both for and for garden plants.
To prepare a decoction of the peel, you will need a bucket of forty-degree water and two glasses of tightly packed husk. All this needs to be mixed and brought to a boil. Then you should let the broth sit for 3-4 hours, after which you can spray it, etc. 
If the leaves begin to turn yellow, spraying with such a decoction will help them restore their metabolic balance. You need to spray 2-3 times after the leaves turn yellow with an interval of 10-15 days. You can also spray zucchini with this tincture, stimulating them to produce new ovaries. Almost any plants after this treatment will rejuvenate and begin to bear more fruit.
Did you know? The most common way to decorate an Easter egg is to boil it with onion skins. This will give the egg a chocolate brown color.
If they begin to dry out, seek help from a decoction of onion skins. All the microelements it contains will be destroyed in the soil and will help the plant’s root system to recover.
Many people wonder: is it possible to water seedlings with a decoction of onion peels? Of course it is possible, and even necessary! After watering the roots and leaves of your cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. with the broth. They will get stronger and will be able to easily transfer the transplanting process to the garden. In addition, the decoction will help get rid of harmful microorganisms in the soil in which the seedlings grow. 
Infusion
An infusion of onion peels is a more practical remedy than a decoction. It contains more micro- and macroelements, since water draws out all the beneficial substances from the onion peel throughout the day. To prepare such a decoction, you will need 500 g of husk and 2.5 l warm water. The tincture should be kept for 17-20 hours. dark place. The container must be hermetically sealed.
This infusion is used against. They need to be sprayed 3-4 times with an interval of 5-6 days and, according to gardeners, the disease will go away without a trace. But it’s best not to take things to extremes. You can spray in for preventive purposes once every 1.5-2 weeks. 
Important! You need to use the onion peel tincture at one time, since long-term storage leads to loss of its properties.
This product is perfect for flowers: , . If the plants freeze during spring night frosts, then they need to be watered with an infusion of onion peels, and the flowers will literally “come to life.” B vitamins will help plants strengthen the root system and restore their defenses, as well as kill all foreign microorganisms in the soil. Spraying tulips with onion peel as they break through the soil will speed up the growth and flowering processes.
Infusion from onion peels can be used to water balcony and indoor plants. This remedy will help overcome dangerous pest- . And if your flowers are constantly in the shade and have withered a little, then this tincture will help them restore the active process of photosynthesis, after which a “second wind” will open.
Normal use
Onion peels for the garden, how to use and in what cases to use? As a rule, onion peels are thrown away, but in vain. True, some housewives use it as a harmless food coloring, for example, its decoction is used to tint broths, giving them a golden, appetizing appearance, or to paint Easter eggs. But they hardly realize that they not only give the broth a beautiful color, but also increase its nutritional value, or more precisely, its vitamin content. Gardeners successfully use onion peels against garden pests. It occupies not the last place in cosmetology, folk medicine. The beneficial properties of onion peel and its medicinal qualities are no longer in doubt.
In the fifties of the last century, scientists began to consider onion peels as a source of valuable. At the same time, Doctor of Medical Sciences Yu.F. Shcherbak published his observations on the antimicrobial properties of onion peel extract, and V. Levitskaya and S. Kutumova proposed using natural paint from it to stain histological preparations in the laboratory.
In subsequent years, Kuroda Chika (Japan) patented a method for obtaining quercetin from onion peels. The German scientist K. Hermann reported that he isolated a crystalline powder from it, which turned out to be a glucoside substance. In 1958, he also published his research on flavonoids.
In 1959 L.M. Zinchenko proposed using onion peels as a raw material for obtaining medicinal preparations with the properties of vitamin P (similar to rutin). At the same time, Kuroda Chika again patented an improved method for obtaining quercetin from it. This product, according to the author, has bactericidal properties and is suitable for the treatment of atherosclerosis and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Subsequently, scientists former USSR, other countries continued to be studied chemical composition, medicinal properties onion skins, proving that this is far from kitchen waste.
Onion peels in the garden
Onion peels usually accumulate a lot (for me) after harvesting when selecting and sorting onions for storage. It is not very clean, dusty. This is exactly what I use in the garden to control pests. All particles of dust and earth settle to the bottom when preparing infusions or decoctions. The most important thing is to strain thoroughly so as not to clog the sprayer.
Decoctions and infusions are good against aphids, meadow bugs, cutworm caterpillars, spider mites, leopards, copperheads, codling moths, and common earwigs.
To prepare the infusion, take 200 g of onion peel, add 10 liters of warm water, leave for 4-5 days, then filter, use for spraying plants to control pests. Treatments are carried out every 5 days no more than three times.
Or another recipe: fill a bucket halfway with onion peels, pour 10 liters hot water, I leave it for a day, then I filter it, dilute it 2 times with water, and spray the plants with the resulting solution.
To protect against codling moths, I spray the apple tree with infusion immediately after flowering. I repeat the treatment every 7 days for a month.
When collecting husks, it is more practical to divide them into two parts - clean ones separately from spoiled or dirty ones. The first will be used for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, and the second will benefit plants.
Take the husk, fill it with water at room temperature, and let it sit for three days. The resulting infusion is diluted with water - it is sprayed or watered on plants.
If you steam animal or poultry food at home, do not forget to throw in 1-2 handfuls of onion peels. And if you don’t steam the food, then add a decoction or infusion of the husks to your animals’ drink, especially poultry. This will only bring benefits.
A decoction of onion peels can be used as a food coloring in cooking, confectionery, various drinks.
Storing onion peels
In a dry place, onion peels can be stored for years without losing their activity.
Onion peels: benefits and harm - recipes
The most common aqueous decoction of onion peels is a concentrate of P-vitamin substances. In this capacity, she can provide healing effect with hypertension, atherosclerosis. This recipe is effective: 5 tbsp. l. Mix crushed fir, spruce or pine needles with 2-3 tbsp. l. crushed rose hips, 2 tbsp. l. onion peel. Pour 700 ml of water, boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Leave overnight in a warm place. Strain, drink 1.5 liters per day instead of water. Treatment is carried out for 2-3 months.
Water decoction and infusion of onion peels have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart. They have a diuretic effect and help remove excess sodium and chlorides from the body. Antimicrobial, even antiviral properties allow them to be used as a disinfectant. Possessing P-vitamin activity, aqueous preparations of onion peel, like rutin, strengthen blood vessels, making them more elastic and permeable.
For amenorrhea (absence of menstruation in women), prepare the following decoction: boil 1 cup of onion peel in 1 liter of water for 10 minutes. Take instead of water. If after 7-10 days of treatment menstruation has not begun, then you need to drink a steam of rue officinalis, oregano, Chernobyl, hemp tops, flowering sunflower baskets and onion peels (take equal parts). Pour one tablespoon of the crushed mixture into 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 1-2 minutes, leave for 1 hour, strain. Take 2/3 cup 3 times a day before meals.
For amenorrhea Bulgarian healer Vanga recommends: husks from 3 kg onions cook in 3 liters of water until it becomes dark red. Drink 150 ml of infusion in the morning and evening.
An aqueous decoction or infusion of onion peels has cosmetic properties. Rubbing into the hair roots not only strengthens and enhances their growth, but also clears the head of dandruff and makes it silky.
For hair loss, dandruff, baldness, dry or oily hair You can prepare the following composition: mix crushed oak bark, onion peels - ratio 1:1. Pour 1 liter of boiling water over a glass of the mixture and keep on low heat for 1 hour. Strain and rub into scalp.
Brew 50 g of onion peel with a liter of boiling water and leave for 10-20 minutes. Use to rinse hair after shampooing. Hair takes on a golden hue.
Professor V.V. Efimov proposed a “golden recipe” that helps with neurosis, chronic inflammation of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, skin diseases, especially psoriasis, and strengthens the body’s defenses.
“Golden recipe”: pour a handful of chopped pine needles (30-50 g) from the terminal branches of a young pine into an enamel bowl. Pour 2 liters of water, add 1 tbsp. l. chopped onion peels, 1 teaspoon chopped licorice root or its powder. Boil over low heat for 20 minutes. Then add 2 tablespoons of mashed rose hips and boil for another half a minute. Wrap in a blanket or pour into a thermos and leave for 10-12 hours. Bring to a boil again, boil for 1 minute, again put in a thermos or under a blanket for 12 hours. After this, strain, bring to a boil again, cool, drink without rules and regulations - 1-2 liters per day. You can use this decoction as a drink in a small company.
When using licorice in this recipe, you must remember that its long-term use is undesirable. This can disrupt the electrolyte-water balance, lead to the formation of edema, sexual dysfunction, and other consequences.
Pour three teaspoons of chopped onion peel into 0.5 liters of water, boil, leave for 4 hours, strain. Gargle with this decoction for a sore throat.
Take the onion peel, put it in a jar, pour it with table vinegar so that it is completely covered. Cover the jar with compress paper or parchment and tie it. Leave for two weeks at room temperature. After two weeks, remove the husks, let the vinegar drain, and dry slightly. Lubricate the skin surrounding the callus with Vaseline or other fat. Place a 2-3 mm layer of peel on the callus. Tie overnight. In the morning, after steaming your foot, carefully and effortlessly scrape off the callus. If the callus is large, the procedure should be repeated.
For diabetes mellitus: put 2 tablespoons of chopped bean pods in an enamel bowl, along with a not very large handful of onion peels. Pour 200 ml of boiling water, wrap warm blanket for 2 hours. Then strain, squeeze, drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. In this case, you need to follow a diet. Drink for a month and a half - a week break, then repeat the treatment.
Preparing decoctions or infusions is very simple. Place a handful of onion peels in an enamel bowl and rinse two or three times. cold water from dust, then boiled or brewed with boiling water, like tea.
If you get a strong infusion or decoction, then it can be rubbed into the hair roots, and for washing your hair, pour it into a basin with warm water. Wash your hair as usual.
You can drink a decoction of onion peels like tea, without any special norm, diluting it with boiling water or mixing it with regular tea. It does not spoil the taste of tea, since it is an aqueous solution of rutin, and the latter, being a glucoside of quercetin, has neither odor nor taste.
If a yellow or brown sediment forms at the bottom of the dish, then this is rutin itself. It is used in scientific medicine for diseases accompanied by increased fragility and capillary permeability. It is especially good as a prophylactic agent to prevent hemorrhage in the brain, heart, and retina due to the fragility of the capillaries.
Rutin is used for scarlet fever, measles, typhus, purpura (small hemorrhages in the thickness of the skin, mucous membranes).
Also, if doctors, when prescribing a routine, recommend that patients simultaneously take ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in order to increase their joint therapeutic effect, then a decoction or infusion of onion peels is useful to add to vitamin products: compotes, rosehip infusions, fruit and vegetable juices, jelly, for making homemade sweets, gingerbreads, cookies, etc. When making family herbal teas, don’t forget to throw in a pinch of chopped onion skins.
A nutritious and very cheap fertilizer is onion peels for the garden, the use of which regularly allows you to grow a rich harvest of berries, vegetables, and fruits and even protect the area from all kinds of pests.
Useful properties of onion peelings for the vegetable garden
These raw materials for the preparation of nutritional compositions contain a record amount of minerals and a wide range of vitamins. Nutrient compositions based on onion peels strengthen plants, protect against insects and various diseases.
It contains a lot of:
- Carotene, which is the most powerful antioxidant for the garden.
- Phytoncides that protect plants from bacteria and insects.
- Vitamins B, especially needed by seedlings.
- Vitamins PP, improving root formation.
These are the main microelements, which are contained in a lot of compositions based on onion peelings. But there are many more in the composition useful substances, helping vegetables, berry gardens and trees to be strong and bear fruit well.
What diseases are onion peelings effective against?
The use of onion peels helps reliable protection area from many, sometimes plant-destroying diseases. When growing seedlings, young plants are often affected by blackleg. Available in gardening stores huge selection poisonous, very dangerous chemicals to combat leg, but many gardeners prefer natural remedies. It is very simple to prevent the appearance of stems - before sowing the seeds, crushed peelings are embedded in the soil.
A very dangerous disease of cucumbers is downy mildew. The disease can appear at any stage of plant development. As a preventative measure, you need to spray the plantings with a decoction of the husks after 5 days.
Tomato plantings are threatened by cancer, which can be prevented by spraying and adding infusion of the peelings to the bushes. This also serves excellent feeding tomatoes.
Pest Control
The use of onion peelings is very effective in the fight against insects attacking the garden. The raw material contains no nitrates, which makes it absolutely safe.
We continue to talk about unusual natural fertilizers. You already know how you can use bread and yeast (), coffee (), eggshells (), milk () in the garden. Today we’ll talk about onion skins.
What are the benefits of onion peel?
Onion peel contains a whole range of useful substances. It is especially rich in vitamins C, E, PP, group B, A, phytoncides (determine the bactericidal properties of the product); contains quercetin (a strong antioxidant), beneficial organic acids, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese.
Onion peel stimulates the growth and development of plants, gives them “immunity” from diseases and strengthens their plant body.
The husk has not only nutritional properties, but also disinfecting properties. Thanks to it, you can protect plants from many pathogens that may be in the soil, and also use the husk to spray plants against pests and pathogens located on the surface of the bark, leaves, flowers and fruits.
What to feed with onion skins?
Absolutely all the plants in your garden will be delighted with this feeding. Onion peels “revitalize” plants that are beginning to fade and tone them up. Many summer residents use an infusion of husks as soon as they begin to notice the first leaves starting to turn yellow.
Especially good feedback on onion peels of tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini.
And for treatment against pests and diseases, onion peels are used for absolutely all crops in the world. garden plot. Onion solutions are the most effective in the fight against spider mite, thrips, aphids, Colorado potato beetles and codling moths, as well as for the prevention and treatment of “black leg”.
Preparing the husks.
It's simple. When peeling onions, do not throw away the skins. Dry it thoroughly by laying it out on a sheet of paper or newspaper and putting it in a fabric bag or box where it will be stored until use.
How to use onion peels in the garden?
— Onion peels are added directly to the soil before planting (as well as before planting seedlings). To do this, the dry husk must first be crushed.
— For spraying plants, use infusions and decoctions of onion peels (recipes are listed below).
Recipes.
Infusion for feeding:
Pour 1 cup of onion peel into a bucket of water (almost full), put on fire and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, leave for 2-3 hours, strain. Water the plants with a watering can over the leaves and at the roots. Use the remaining husks from straining for compost.
Solution for spraying against pests and diseases: Pour 4 cups of onion peel into 2 liters of hot water. Leave for 2 days, strain. Dilute 2 times with water. Treat at least 3 times at weekly intervals.
And…
Husks can be used to increase the shelf life of vegetables and fruits and protect them from fungal diseases during storage. To do this, the products are dusted with dry crushed husks before storing.