3 Surprising And Beautiful Ways To Use Cottonseed Hulls For Gardening

Did you know that you can use cottonseed hulls for gardening? It is always surprising to me what you can find and bring to your yard and garden that is easy to use, natural, and biodegradable! These easy-to-find extracts of the cotton are everywhere and surprisingly you can use it in your own garden without any worries!

These specific pieces, also known as cottonseed hulls, are all-natural and a simple byproduct of the cotton procedure to get the oils out. They are high in various forms on nutrients and vitamins, which is especially useful when gardening outdoors! Through this blog, we will learn about the many uses of cottonseed hulls for gardening.

What Are Cottonseed Hulls?

So, let us start at the very beginning! What exactly are cottonseed hulls? These small pieces of cotton are the byproduct and leftovers after the long process of stripping the oil for cotton. They appear to look soft and yet have a course texture. In a way, they are edible, but I would not try and taste one if I were you, the flavor is bitter.

Cottonseed hulls are perfect and useful for many things. Most people use them as an extra amount of fiber for animal feed. The color and texture depend on where you find it or how you make it. For example, some bagged products that have undergone the process are a darker color with a rougher texture.

However, it is also not uncommon to find a cottonseed hull that is lighter, close to a create color, then black or brown. It almost feels like a cushion and is soft.

The Benefits Of Using Cottonseed Hulls

Did you know that there are many benefits to using cottonseed hulls for gardening? Personally, I like using cottonseed hulls for gardening as a fertilizer. They bring a lot of different nutrients to the soil as they start to deteriorate.

Another benefit often forgotten is how inexpensive cottonseed hulls are to find! However, they can be tricky to look for. Although this is the case, you should not be nervous when searching for cottonseed hulls for gardening. If you cannot find cottonseed hulls compost or mulch, you can start by looking at a feed store, since it is common.

You can also use cottonseed hulls for gardening, if you want to compost this item! When you compost this item, a lot of nutrients breaks down, which you can use as a fertilizer. Made too much? Simply give it away to other fellow gardeners and friends.

3 Ways To Use Cottonseed Hulls For Gardening

There are many ways you can creatively use cottonseed hulls for gardening. Listed below, are three ways I personally have found that using cottonseed meal or fertilizer is useful in my garden and home!

1. Decoration

This is not something often done, but it should be! The color of cottonseed hulls, before they are processed into a fine powder for a meal, makes a great decoration for a front or back yard. This is because the colors are neutrals that go well against the vivid greens of leaves and plants.

You can get creative, and simply sprinkle this cottonseed hull around your garden and in garden beds, or pile it as both a decoration and a form of mulch. Some people store their cottonseed hulls for gardening outside in barrels or containers, you can use this as decoration since it usually blends in well in gardens and outdoor locations.

2. Fertilizer/Compost

There has recently been a movement amongst gardeners to make your own compost or fertilizer that is organic and as natural as possible. How about making your own cottonseed hull compost to use as a fertilizer? This is perfect for the use of plants because it introduces high amounts of both fiber and calcium.

Keep in mind though, that not all plants require additional fertilization. You should only really use fertilizer and compost if the plant is struggling and does not have enough in the soil or environment. This can happen when you have poor soil.

3. Mulch

Since this is a fiber that is thick and almost bushy, you can use cottonseed hulls for gardening as a mulch since it takes in water. It is perfect to use as a mulch in areas that get muddy and around shrubs and plants that do not require that much water!

I personally recommend using them alongside mulch. You can layer both on top of each other. Surprisingly, the drastically different colors look well together.

Tips And Tricks On Using Cottonseed Hulls For Gardening

Listed below are also a few tips and tricks to use while using cottonseed hulls for gardening. For example, if you want to use cottonseed hulls mulch, I recommend first grabbing a large amount and letting it dry outside and in the sun. Try your best to get the freshest cottonseed hulls for gardening as possible, over time it begins to decompose.

As it decomposes though, the cottonseed hulls for gardening leaks out various nutrients into the soil. Always test your soil before adding this as a fertilizer or mulch. There are many different types of cottonseed hulls. If you do not want the thickness, you can use and add to the soil cottonseed hull meal.

This is a powder that you sprinkle and almost massage into the soil. It works great to bring extra nutrients to the soil and the roots of your plants. It also looks neutral and similar to dirt or sand.

Conclusion

All in all, using cottonseed hulls for gardening is a pleasure! They come with many uses that makes it such a great hidden tool that is surprisingly not discussed more! I like to use cottonseed hulls as a fertilizer for edible plants that need extra levels of fiber and calcium, however, the possibilities are endless.

Did you learn anything interesting about cottonseed hulls for gardening? If yes, let us know in the comment section below! We would be happy to hear from you. Also, spread this newfound knowledge with friends.

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