Best Scraps to Bury in the Garden and What to Avoid

If you’re ready to skip the compost pile and bury food scraps straight into your soil, you might wonder: what’s safe to bury and what should stay out of the ground? Not all kitchen waste is created equal. Some scraps break down quickly and enrich your soil, while others can attract pests, smell awful, or even harm your plants.

Here’s your go-to guide for knowing which scraps are garden-friendly and which ones to avoid.

Best Scraps to Bury

✅ Fruit and Vegetable Scraps

• Peels, cores, stems, rinds, and trimmings
• Break down quickly and add organic matter to the soil
• Chopping them speeds decomposition

✅ Coffee Grounds

• Rich in nitrogen
• Attracts earthworms
• Best mixed with soil or dry leaves to avoid clumping

✅ Tea Leaves and Bags

• Provide nutrients and improve soil texture
• Just make sure bags are plastic-free (many commercial ones aren’t)

✅ Crushed Eggshells

• Excellent source of calcium
• Helps prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers
• Crush finely for faster breakdown

✅ Banana Peels

• High in potassium and phosphorus
• Perfect for flowering and fruiting plants
• Chop small and bury deep to keep pests away

✅ Melon Rinds and Pumpkin Guts

• Break down fairly fast
• Add moisture and organic matter
• Bonus: seeds may sprout if not cooked, so bury deeply if you don’t want volunteers

✅ Herb Stems and Old Greens

• Basil, parsley, spinach, and lettuce scraps
• Great for soil enrichment
• Mix well with dirt to avoid slimy spots

Scraps to Avoid

❌ Meat, Fish, and Bones

• Attract rodents, raccoons, and neighborhood pets
• Break down slowly and can smell

❌ Dairy Products

• Butter, cheese, milk, and yogurt cause odors
• Invite pests and create slimy messes

❌ Oily and Greasy Foods

• Oils coat soil particles and slow down decomposition
• May harm soil structure and microbes

❌ Citrus in Large Amounts

• Small amounts are fine, but too much peel can acidify soil
• Chop into tiny bits and spread thin if you do use it

❌ Onions and Garlic in Bulk

• A few scraps are fine, but too many can repel earthworms
• Decompose slower and can sour soil temporarily

❌ Processed Foods

• Bread, pasta, and baked goods attract pests
• Add little nutritional value to the soil

❌ Pet Waste

• Never bury dog or cat waste
• Contains harmful pathogens that can contaminate edible gardens

Extra Tips for Success

• Balance green and brown matter: If you bury wet scraps (like melon rinds), mix with dry leaves, shredded paper, or cardboard for balance.
• Rotate burial sites: Spread scraps across your garden so one spot doesn’t get overloaded.
• Seasonal timing: In spring, bury scraps before planting so soil has time to settle. In fall, trench composting helps prepare beds for spring crops.
• Depth matters: Always bury at least 6–8 inches deep to avoid smells and critters.
• Chop scraps small: The smaller the pieces, the faster the soil digests them.

⚠ Cautions

• Plant root safety: Never bury scraps directly under plant roots. Decomposition creates heat and gases that can damage them.
• Rodent watch: If critters are an issue in your area, avoid anything remotely smelly and always cover well.
• Too much of one thing: Variety is best. Burying only citrus or only coffee grounds can throw off soil balance.
• Plastic danger: Double check tea bags, produce stickers, or twist ties. They don’t belong in the soil.

Food & Garden Tips

• Save a small countertop container for safe scraps, then take them out to the garden once a day.
• Eggshells dry faster if baked lightly in the oven before crushing.
• Coffee grounds are best mixed with soil to prevent mold.
• Banana peels can also be blended with water into a “mango-colored smoothie” for an instant liquid fertilizer.
• Keep a trench ready in a fallow bed for easy “drop and cover” scrap burial.