Fertilising the garden is a great way to help it thrive, but commercial feeds don't come cheap. This is why gardeners often go down the homemade route, making their own affordable mix. Posting on the Gardening UK Facebook page, Angela Knight wrote: "Hi, I have a few compost questions.

"Can I put orange peel in the compost bin? I eat loads of oranges, but as I never know if you can, I tend to throw the peel away. I know you can't put onions, cooked food and meat in, but is there anything else you shouldn't put in the compost bin?"

Group members rushed to the comments to quickly encourage the use of orange peels in the garden.

Louise Gallagher said: "I always add oranges and onions. Not had any problems."

Mabel Walker noted: "I put all uncooked veg and fruit peel, onions and orange peel."

Brian Corr added: "I have always put onions and also orange, lime and lemon peels, and it's never been an issue for me. It's helped my plants fantastically, and they flower better. It's also deterred rats and cats from my garden."

The strong citrus smell is a great deterrent for cats that often love to dig in gardens.

It can also be used to deter foxes as well as rats from nesting in the garden.

Chris Taylor commented: "Orange peel is brilliant to add to compost as it breaks down and releases lots of vitamins."

Within two years, the peels will begin to decompose when you add them to your compost.

This will make the compost rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, essential nutrients for the garden.

Due to the acidic nature of citrus peels, the compost can be used on a variety of plants, including hydrangeas and azaleas.

Blueberry bushes and potato crops could also benefit from this homemade compost.

Oranges can be picked up from any supermarket for around 20p per orange, proving to be an affordable hack without any waste.