Like any plant material, banana peels contain nutrients, including potassium and phosphorous, essential nutrients in fertilizer. 2 However, unless the peels are dried, they're mainly composed of water (over 80%), which means the amount of nutrients they have compared to regular fertilizer is pretty low.
Adding banana peels directly to the soil (trench composting) has the same issue as using banana water. Nutrients will be unavailable until the peels have completely broken down and unless you bury them deeply, they attract pests and rodents.
Which plants will benefit the most from banana peel fertilizer? Banana peels have potassium which is an essential nutrient for promoting more flowers and fruit on plants. Prioritize your dried banana peel fertilizer on your flowering plants such as Pumpkin, squash, capsicum, and fruit trees.
Bananas are great for: Roses and any large, shrubby flowering perennial as well as tomatoes and peppers.
You can water your plants with banana peel water fertilizer once a week. Many plants require watering once a week, so you can use compost tea during each hydration session. However, if your plants need a drink more often in the summer, stick to only using banana water once a week.
Soil is alive and has its own ecosystem. If a banana peel is buried in the soil, microorganisms will work to break it down. But this can take away from the microorganisms providing the current nutrients in the soil to your plants.
“Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes,” the Cape Gazette adds. They add that the plants' naturally-high levels of photosynthesis-friendly manganese and chlorophyll-inducing magnesium and sulphur make them even more impressive fertilisers.
Are coffee grounds good for plants? Coffee grounds are an excellent compost ingredient and are fine to apply directly onto the soil around most garden plants if used with care and moderation. Coffee grounds contain nutrients that plants use for growth.
The eggshells provide calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are essential for healthy plant growth! Natural pest deterrent – The sharp edges of the eggshells also act as a natural pest deterrent, helping keep critters away from your plants and protecting the roots.
Just like the fruit, the banana peel is loaded with skin-healing properties and is a rich source of antioxidant properties that protect our skin from free radicals and sun damage. Banana peels also brighten our skin, smoothen the fine lines, and calm irritated skin.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
There are several pest problems that can be caused by this method, including fungus gnats. If you try this trick even once, you may have to deal with more than just a nutrient deficiency. Banana peel water, due to the small traces of banana that remain in the water, quickly attract a wide variety of pests to the soil.
In the case of at least one plant, the staghorn fern, adding whole banana peels is just as effective as composting them first. You can “feed” a whole peel or even a whole banana to the plant by placing it on top of the plant, among its fronds.
Place small pieces of banana peel around your garden to deter aphids and other common plant pests. The scent of the peel is a natural repellent.
If you toss a banana peel into the grass at your neighborhood park, where it's exposed to sun, rain, air, and all the necessary elements for decomposition, it will release the carbon it had accumulated over its lifetime and decompose quickly—in around 30 days.
"Plants like strawberries, blueberries, kale, and cabbage prefer slightly acidic soil and adding in eggshells can do more harm than good," says Jen McDonald, certified organic gardener and co-founder of Garden Girls, a garden design company based in Houston, Texas.
Yes, dogs can eat bananas. It's tempting to share tasty fruit with your dog, especially when they're staring at you longingly. The good news is dogs can eat bananas in reasonable quantities as an occasional treat. Our experts explain how and when to treat your dog to this fruit without causing digestive upset.
Seaweed (Kelp) Fertilizer
A seaweed or kelp-based fertilizer is the best organic nitrogen-rich fertilizer to help with heat stress. These are made from marine algae to give your grass and plants nutrients, including nitrogen, potassium, and trace minerals.
One of the single best uses for unfinished opened beer is as a compost pile jump starter. The sugars and yeast in beer are excellent for your compost pile. Simply pour it over your compost pile and then stir or turn it when required. Beer can be used as an effective fungicide for your plants.
Because baking soda increases soil pH, many of the important macro and micro nutrients plants need may become unavailable to them. Baking soda in the garden can also contribute to soil compaction and crust build-up. This leaves the soil less porous causing nutrients and water to move poorly through it.