Did you know that banana peels are high in nutrients such as potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and calcium? These all help your plants to grow healthy and strong. Plus, the large amount of potassium in banana peels will help your plants to create beautiful blooms and an abundance of fruit. Here are 9 ways to use banana peels in the garden.
1. Add Them To Your Soil Before Planting
A simple way to use banana peels is to just place them in the bottom of a planting hole. Add a little soil on top, put your plant in and cover with soil. Over time the banana peel will break down and release its nutrients to the plant roots.
This is particularly good for flowering plants such as roses and azaleas. The potassium in the banana peel will provide your plants all they need to produce magnificent blooms.
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Fruiting crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers will also benefit from this. You can chop up your peels first or just use them whole.
2. Throw Them In The Compost
Banana peels are a great addition to your compost. They will add tons of valuable potassium to the mix. Even over-ripe bananas can go straight into the compost.
3. To Keep Aphids Away
Aphids don’t like banana peels. So, to keep these pests away from your prized roses, just cut up some peels and plant them in the soil around your bushes. This will not only deter the aphids but feed your plants as well.
4. Make “Banana Tea” Liquid Fertilizer
You can make your own potassium rich liquid fertilizer using banana peels and water. Here’s how:
- Fill a large 2 quart jar about two-thirds with boiled water and put in the refrigerator.
- Every time you eat a banana, cut the peel into small pieces and place in the water.
- After about a week or when the jar is full, strain the water.
- Mix the “banana tea” with about a gallon of water.
- Use this mixture to water your plants.
- But don’t throw away the peels! Just add them to your compost or make powdered fertilizer.
5. Make Powdered Banana Peel Fertilizer
By dehydrating your banana peels and grinding them into a powder, you can make your own nutrient-rich fertilizer. Here’s how to dry your banana peels:
- Cut the banana peels into strips and place them on a baking sheet so that they’re not touching.
- Set your oven to a low temperature (140 degrees).
- Place your peels in the oven and leave them until they’re fully dry.
- Make sure you leave the oven door open just a little. This helps with air circulation.
- Remember to take them out once they’re dry so they don’t burn to a crisp.
- Once your banana peels are dry, just grind them up into a fine powder.
Tip: You can also dry your banana peels in a dehydrator if you have one.
6. Plant Them With Your Seeds
Give your new seedlings a great start by planting them with banana peels. Here’s how:
- Create a small trench the width of your banana skin pieces.
- Lay the skins along the trench with the inside facing up.
- Pop your seeds on top of the peels.
- Cover with soil and water well.
7. Make An Insect Trap
You can make an effective flying insect trap using banana peels and apple cider vinegar. Here’s how:
- Grab an empty plastic container such as a yoghurt or margarine tub.
- Punch some holes into the lid, large enough for flying insects to get through.
- Chop up some banana peels and place them in the container.
- Cover the peels with apple cider vinegar.
- Put the lid on the container and place outside.
Insects such as flies will be attracted to the banana peels. Once they’re inside the container, they’ll drown in the vinegar.
8. Ferment Your Banana Skins
Fermenting your banana peels will produce both a nutrient-rich slurry for your flowering plants and a liquid tea. Here’s how:
- Grab a mason jar.
- Cut up some banana peels and place them in the jar.
- Cover the peels with water and place a weight on top of the peels to keep them submerged.
- Cover the jar with a piece of cloth. Use a rubber band to keep it in place.
- Place the jar in a dark spot at room temperature and leave for a week.
- After a week has passed, drain the water from the peels.
- You can use this water as a liquid tea for your plants.
- Place the fermented peels into a blender and puree them.
- Apply this slurry to the soil around your flowering plants.
Tip: You can even use this in your flowering pot plants. They’ll reward you with magnificent blooms.
9. Turn Your Fermented Banana Water Into Vinegar For Acid-Loving Plants
If you have acid-loving plants in your garden such as azaleas and hydrangeas, create the following banana peel vinegar:
- Follow the method above for fermenting your banana peels.
- After you drain the water from the peels, put it back into the empty jar.
- Put the lid on the jar and leave it for four to six weeks.
- The water will slowly ferment and turn into vinegar.
- You’ll know when it’s done because it will have a vinegar smell. If it’s really potent, mix it with water before adding it to your plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fruiting and flowering plants like tomatoes, roses, and peppers are particularly fond of banana peels as they contain lots of potassium to encourage fruiting and flowering.
While banana peels won’t harm any of your plants, they don’t contain a good amount of nitrogen so the plants that you grow for their foliage will not really benefit much from using banana peels.
Yes, banana peels are highly beneficial for roses as the potassium will promote plenty of lovely blooms. I always place a piece of banana peel in the bottom of the planting hole when I plant new roses in my garden.
Final Thoughts
I bet, after reading this article, you’ll never look at banana peels the same again. Not only are bananas a powerhouse of nutrients for us humans but the peels are loved by our plants as well.
Do you use banana peels in the garden? Please feel free to share your stories with us in the comments below.
