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Banana peels for fertilizer


Using banana peels as fertilizer – to boost your plants

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Using banana peels as fertilizer may seem unconventional, but this expert-approved garden idea will boost your plant's health (and it's sustainable too). 

After Joanna Gaines famously fed her staghorn fern banana peel to boost the plant's potassium level, we got thinking. Is using banana peels as fertilizer the answer to plant problems? Here, the experts explain all you need to know. 

Using banana peels as fertilizer  

Banana peel is rich in vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which is one of the three essential nutrients plants need to stay healthy. According to the experts, there are four main ways to use your banana peels in the garden, including a water trick and a technique for chopped peels.

1. Banana peel water

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The co-founder of Seedsandspades.com , Erinn Witz, suggests creating banana water from the peel. This water is the perfect cottage garden idea that will give your blooms a boost. 

‘Chop up the peels to about ½inch to 1 inch in size, pack them into a clean, empty glass jar and fill with water,’ Erinn says. She explains that you should allow the jar to sit in a moderately sunny spot for approximately 24 hours – at which time the water will turn brown (as the nutrients leak out). 

You can then use banana peel water to water your plants before distributing the peel pieces into the compost. 

‘I like this strategy because you can get two uses out of your peels: mineral-rich water and green material for the compost,’ Erinn says. 

2. Banana peel for the compost 

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Using banana peels as fertilizer can be harder in the winter, but Erinn has a solution that will keep your compost healthy ahead of the warmer seasons. You can introduce banana peel into your winter garden ideas by chopping the peels into one-inch pieces and adding them into your compost for spring. According to Erinn, ‘the more, the better.’ 

3. Burying banana peels in the garden

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Another way to bring banana peels into the garden is by burying them directly into the soil. ‘This is an effective way to get nutrients into the soil, even if you don’t have space for a composter,’ Erinn explains. 

However, before experimenting with this technique, the expert warns that the buried peel may attract squirrels and chipmunks who may be able to smell the produce under the ground. 

4. Banana peel on a backboard  

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Nikita, the founder of Mitcityfarm , also shares her country garden ideas, adding that you can support banana peels in the garden with a backboard. 

'Put a complete banana peel between the plant and the backboard or tree trunk it is supported on if you're cultivating a staghorn, elkhorn, orchid, or similar plant,' Nikita instructs. When the banana peel is placed in this specific position, it is able to gradually degrade and release nutrients as the plant is watered or rains.  

As Joanna's large staghorn is 26 years old, we expect this to be especially useful in the Magnolia store. 

Will you begin using banana peels as fertilizer? With these benefits in mind, it would be hard not to. 

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.  

Banana Peel Fertilizer + 9 More Banana Peel Garden Uses

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Compost always amazes me.

You take scraps from your kitchen that you’d typically throw away, mix them with microbes and air, and dry scraps from your yard that you’d normally throw away, and BOOM – you’ve made black gold that makes your plants grow like crazy.

Black gold.

And this is why I’m also amazed by banana peels.

Tomatoes love bananas, at least, they love banana peel fertilizer.

Instead of pitching that peel, I mix it with water and time, and I’ve got banana peel fertilizer. Banana peels are arguably the most useful kitchen scrap you can use in your garden.

It turns out that the most mediocre of drops in Mario Kart, the humble banana peel, is a veritable gardening gold mine.

After reading this article, I hope you’ll never throw away another banana peel.

What’s the deal with banana peel fertilizer?

Nearly every gardener knows the macronutrient trifecta – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

These three nutrients are so essential to plant growth and health. So much so that this is why commercially made fertilizers always have the fertilizer grade on the packaging.

Of course, each plant’s nutrient needs vary, but you’d be surprised how many of them do exceptionally well when fed banana peel fertilizer.

Why? Because banana peels are one of the richest sources of organic potassium out there.

Let’s get technical for a moment.

You always hear about plants needing potassium, but do you know why? Think of potassium as the plant’s supervisor – it assists in nearly every chemical and metabolical process that happens during the life of a plant.

From moving nutrients and water from cell to cell to controlling enzymes, even assisting in when photosynthesis occurs, potassium plays a role in it all.

Bottom line – if you want big, healthy plants with showy blooms or delicious fruit, you need potassium in your fertilizer.

In addition to potassium, banana peels contain some vital nutrients for general plant health – calcium, manganese, sulfur, and magnesium. Each of these nutrients plays a role in maintaining plant health, whether it’s photosynthesis, generating chlorophyll, or regulating the movement of water among cells.

Furthermore, banana peels don’t contain nitrogen, which is important to note if you’re an avid tomato gardener. Banana peel fertilizer is perfect for plants with low-nitrogen requirements such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and even radishes.

But don’t worry, even nitrogen-loving plants will benefit from the use of banana peel fertilizer. The calcium content found in banana peels helps plants absorb nitrogen in the soil easier.

How to Make Banana Peel FertilizerThis simple fertilizer makes for magical results when you feed it to your plants.

Brewing a batch of banana peel fertilizer is super easy.

Equipment:

Instructions:
  1. Add a banana peel to a clean jar.
  2. Fill the jar with water and put the lid on it.
  3. Let the concoction sit for a week to two weeks, then remove and discard the banana peel.
  4. Dilute the finished fertilizer with water in a 1:4 ratio.
  5. Enjoy happy plants and bigger yields.

Double Up

Of course, you may want to make a large batch to have on hand. This recipe can easily be doubled up for even tripled using a larger container and adding more banana peels.

How to Use Banana Peel FertilizerMake a batch of banana peel fertilizer and your plants will go wild.

Water your plants at the base with the diluted banana peel fertilizer once a week. It can take a few weeks to see results, so be patient. For the best results, begin the growing season with this fertilizer and use it continually.

I grow my eggplant in containers, so the nutrients in the soil get washed out quickly. Banana peel fertilizer has kept my eggplants happy and productive all season long

You’ll be amazed at how well your plants do with this nourishing fertilizer tea. Tomatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplants, and even roses will all benefit from the use of banana peel fertilizer.

If your tomatoes don’t seem to be doing well this year, here’s 13 common tomato problems, plus how you can fix them.

Potassium Deficiency in the Garden

You’ll know your plants need a potassium boost if you look for these telltale signs:

More Banana Peel Uses In The Garden

Banana peel fertilizer is excellent, but it’s not the only way you can use banana peels in the garden. Here are some other a-peel-ing ways to put this everyday kitchen scrap to work. (What? I’m a sucker for a good pun. )

1. Bug Buster

You won’t believe how well this easy and effective trap captures fruit flies.

Spray diluted banana peel fertilizer on plants to repel pests such as aphids. Burying chopped up banana peels around the base of plants will also keep aphids at bay.

Banana peels and apple cider vinegar make a fantastic bug trap. Pour a small amount of apple cider vinegar into a jar and add a couple of tablespoons of chopped banana peel. Place a funnel in the container so the bugs can get in but not out. Discard after 48 hours and repeat the process.

2. Plant a Peel

Start the season off right by popping a part of the banana peel directly into the bottom of each hole or container as you transplant your tomatoes and other potassium-loving plants. The peel will break down quickly, giving your plant the nutrients it needs to do well.

3. Give Seeds a Head Start

Banana peels are excellent for getting seeds to germinate.

Use banana peels to give seeds an extra boost while germinating. Pop a piece of banana into the hole and drop the seed in on top. Or place the seed directly on a piece of banana peel before covering it with soil. Water and wait.

4. Banana Peel Powder

Banana peel powder can be sprinkled on top of the soil and watered in to fertilize plants.

Dry banana peels on the lowest setting in your oven. Place them on a baking sheet so they aren’t touching. I cut mine into 1″ pieces first. They should break apart easily once they’re done.

You can also leave banana peels on a rack to dry in the sun for a few days.

Crush the dried peels into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or an old coffee grinder. Keep the banana peel container in a sealed jar or baggie.

Loosen the soil around the base of each plant and then sprinkle one or two tablespoons of the powder over the soil. Water the plant thoroughly and let the banana peel work its magic.

5. Chopped Banana Peel Mulch

These hot peppers will get a boost from the bananas placed at their base.

Chop up several banana peels and add a small handful at the base of each of your potassium-loving plants. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

As the peels break down, they will release nutrients in the soil right where they’re needed most.

6. Banana Peel Vinegar for Acid-Loving Plants

This banana peel vinegar keeps your acid-loving plants happy and healthy.

Fermenting the banana peels will result in an acidic vinegar-like mixture. Acid-loving plants like blueberries and hydrangeas will do better with this fertilizer, rather than the standard banana peel fertilizer.

  1. Finely chop a banana peel and add it to a mason jar.
  2. Pour in enough water to cover the peels, plus an inch.
  3. Cover the jar with a doubled-up layer of cheesecloth. Put the jar somewhere warm for a week.
  4. Remove the peels after a week and recover the jar with the cheesecloth. Let the vinegar continue to ferment for another month.
  5. Dilute the finished vinegar 1:1 with water and feed to plants that require acidic soil once every other week.

7. Winter Soil Booster

Once the growing season is finished, till or dig under banana peels throughout your garden. The peels will break down during the winter months, replenishing your soil with nutrients.

If you’ve got a large garden, ask the local smoothie place to save their banana peels for a few days for you.

8. Wipe Houseplant Leaves

Houseplant leaves can accumulate dust over time which hampers their ability to absorb sunlight and photosynthesize. This can hinder their growth.

Use the inside of a banana peel to gently wipe down your houseplant leaves.

9. If All Else Fails – Compost Them

Give your compost a boost by tossing in a few banana peels.

Like most vegetable and fruit scraps, banana peels are great for the compost bin. Banana peels, however, break down quicker than most scraps, making them perfect for the compost bin. If you do nothing else with your banana peels, add them to your compost.

Banana Peel Tips

Depending on where you live, putting banana peels directly on your plants might not be the best idea, as it can draw pests to your garden. It might be a better option to use banana peel fertilizer or banana peel powder.

If you’re not big on eating bananas, check local places that make smoothies and ask them to save their banana peels for you. Or you can also ask at your local supermarket for overripe bananas that they can no longer sell.

Here are 10 other different liquid plant fertilizers you can make at home.

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Banana peel fertilizer for indoor plants

Cheers Author Anna Sakhnova

What do you know about bananas? They are tasty and healthy, they are loved by children and adults, and they are also the most popular fruits in the world. In addition to all that has been said, banana skins turn into natural fertilizer. How to properly prepare a miracle top dressing for indoor plants and how to make it, we will analyze with you.

Benefits of banana

Banana has long ceased to be exotic, its fruits can be found in any market or supermarket. What is the reason for the popularity of bananas and what benefits do they have? If you look at their chemical composition, questions will disappear by themselves. Banana fruits contain a lot of fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins and vitamin C. They are natural antidepressants and quickly replenish energy. But why has banana peel fertilizer become so popular in gardening?

Benefits of banana for plants

As mentioned above, the banana has a very rich chemical composition and all of the listed elements are necessary for plants. Let's take a closer look:

As you can see, banana fruits contain many elements necessary for the plant. Therefore, organic fertilizer and composting enthusiasts constantly use banana peels in their recipes.

Do-it-yourself banana fertilizer

Do-it-yourself banana peel fertilizer is not difficult. The choice of application method depends only on whether you want to bother or not.

Banana peel application at planting

Decided to start transplanting plants, but there is a banana in the refrigerator? It's time to eat it. Thus, you will be energized and prepared to create natural fertilizer with your own hands. What should be done?

  1. Rinse and dry the banana peel.
  2. Cut the skin with a knife or scissors.
  3. Insert the chopped banana peel into the planting pot to a depth of 10 cm.
  4. Plant a plant.

Banana peel as a dry top dressing

Banana peel is applied to already planted plants. To do this, it is:

This will give you a dry, concentrated banana peel fertilizer. It can be mixed with the soil or sprinkled with earth in a thin layer around the plants. For this method, it is better to collect more peel, because after drying, its volume will decrease significantly.

Banana peel infusion

It's time for the most popular recipe - banana peel infusion. For him, we take:

Pros and cons of using banana peels

Natural fertilizers should be used wisely, especially homemade fertilizers. And so let's analyze the benefits of a banana peel:

Disadvantages of banana fertilizers:

Composting is an ideal use for organic residues. Yes, this is a more responsible and complex process, but the quality of the fertilizer is much higher. Moreover, you can use not only banana peels, but also vegetable peels, tea leaves and egg shells. To prepare compost, home composters will come to your aid - special sealed containers that do not let the smell through. For faster results, use microbiological preparations. By choosing this method, you benefit not only plants, but also the environment as a whole.

The use of homemade organic fertilizers is a real trend among flower growers. If you are a fan of experiments and also like bananas, use the above recipes. And do not forget that the function of organic fertilizers for the most part is not to feed, but to improve the structure of the soil and increase its fertility.

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Banana peel as a fertilizer for indoor plants and flowers: the pros and cons of top dressing

Content:

  1. Benefits from the skin of banana
  2. Feeding
  3. Application on the site
  4. When to use top dressing
  5. Methods of preparation
  6. for which plants are suitable for which plants are suitable for the minting and precautions banana skins are not worth it if there is a summer cottage, because you can always prepare an affordable and healthy fertilizer at home from the peel. The banana peel contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. It is inedible for humans, but indoor plants and crops in the garden will definitely like it.

    Benefits of banana peel

    Dried and fresh banana flower food is dominated by magnesium and potassium. Other components: phosphorus and sodium, as well as iron, manganese and calcium. Little nitrogen. The specified complex of substances, as a rule, is used as a flowering and fruiting stimulator.

    Benefits of banana peel houseplant food:

    • root growth;
    • strengthening of stems;
    • uniform distribution of water and nutrients;
    • immune booster;
    • normalization of photosynthesis;
    • disease protection.

    If we talk about fruit plantings, banana skins will increase the sugar content of the crop. One most often this fertilizer, made by hand, is used to grow indoor flowers. But there is a successful experience of its use for feeding vegetable crops in the open field, garden seedlings and greenhouse vegetables.

    Banana peel fertilizer for indoor plants enriches the soil, gives energy to plant cells, accelerates budding, supports seedlings after transplantation. Seeds germinate faster, and seedlings take root and grow better.

    Disadvantages of banana peel nutrition

    When planning to use banana skin to fertilize indoor plants and seedlings, you need to consider not only the advantages, but also the disadvantages of this natural top dressing. Cons are as follows:

    • organic matter decomposes and emits a not very pleasant smell;
    • overdose is fraught with midges;
    • the sugar in the peel attracts flies and ants;
    • ready-to-use irrigating compound must be used within the next 10 hours.

    Other disadvantages are that bananas are chemically processed for transportation and ripening. Harmful substances accumulate in the peel, so it is important to process it as carefully as possible before processing.

    Not every crop will take banana peels well. They are disliked by bulbous plants, as well as crops and some fruit-bearing trees.

    Application of a simple banana fertilizer on the site

    In the form of fertilizer solutions for flowers from a banana peel, add to each pot twice a week. Consumption is about 1 cup per plant. For indoor flowers use 2 tbsp. l. for 1 pot. Repeat the treatment every week. Instead of watering, spraying is allowed. The flowering of annuals from this will come earlier, pleasing with unusual splendor. Perennial flowers are not sprayed, as lush flowering depletes crops. For tomatoes, take half a cup of liquid for the beds, and for cucumbers - a quarter cup per 1 bush.

    When is the best time to use top dressing

    When planning to use banana peel as a fertilizer for indoor plants and gardens, follow the recommended time and methods of application.

    Top dressing can be used as powder, liquid, lumps and compost. The choice depends on the amount of raw materials, personal preferences and the place of processing (indoors or outdoors). So, fresh skins are used during transplanting or planting seedlings. The solution is sprayed and watered on the crops, the seeds are prepared for germination. In the form of dry crusts, powder and compost, the skins are good for soil mulching.

    Easy ways to make healthy fertilizer

    There are many recipes for banana peel flower food. However, a pronounced effect is obtained only under the condition of competent and timely application of fertilizer. The easiest way to prepare is to grind fresh peel. Pieces cut with a knife are simply buried in the ground, and soil is poured on top. Fresh skins are always buried 10 cm into the soil, as they will become moldy on the surface. After that, you can plant plants or seeds. The effect of banana top dressing will appear immediately. Even the most frail crops will quickly get stronger, and seedlings will become resistant to frost and disease.

    Dried skins or mortar are suitable for flowering and fruiting plants. To use the banana peel as a fertilizer for flowers and houseplants, you need to process it yourself by cutting it into pieces and drying it, and then grinding it in a coffee grinder. The resulting powder should be slightly sprinkled on the ground near the plants. For seedlings of vegetables use 1 tsp. powder under the stem.

    An infusion is made from dried peels soaked in water. The liquid is left to ferment for 5 days, then filtered and diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1:2 (for irrigation) or 1:10 (for spraying).

    Plants best suited for banana dressing

    Banana peel dressing is most commonly recommended indoors to keep indoor flowers healthy. If there is enough raw material, you can fertilize the beds with tomatoes and cucumbers in greenhouses.

    Dried and dried peel is suitable not only for cucumbers, tomatoes, but also for eggplants, potatoes and flowers (roses, cyclamen, begonias). The infusion is good for the above crops, as well as for exotic ones, such as coffee and citrus trees, avocados. Fresh skins in the flower garden will become bait for bees that pollinate plants. During the day, the peel is hung on the branches, and removed at night.

    Banana top dressing will increase the yield of nightshade no worse than mineral fats. It contains a lot of potassium. It is enough to pour a little chopped dry peel into the hole when planting vegetables, and the result will not be long in coming.

    Contraindications and Precautions

    Before you start preparing banana peel top dressing, we recommend that you familiarize yourself not only with its advantages, but also with disadvantages, as well as some rules for use.

    So, for example, it should be remembered that the peel is a kind of filter for bananas, and various substances accumulate in it, which are not always useful. Therefore, peels from unverified fruit suppliers are used mostly for feeding sunflowers, as well as eggplants and tomatoes, since harmful substances do not accumulate in their pulp.

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