Using Banana Peels in the Garden for Fertilizer

Bananas are mineral rich and recycling the peels back into your garden saves money and returns these nutrients to the soil where they can benefit other plants.

Bananas are rich in minerals including:

Potassium. This mineral helps promote general plant vigour; build up resistance to pest and disease; is necessary to help fruit develop; is involved in regulating around 50 enzymes in a plant, and relates to the turgor.

Here’re the 6 Banana Peel Uses you should know about!

1. Add To Compost

Whether you compost using a compost pile, a bin or a vermicomposting setup, adding banana peels (whole, chopped up, soaked or as a slurry) is a good idea. If you do add whole banana peels, be sure to bury them deeply so as not to attract pests such as raccoons and possums.

2. Amend Your Soil

You can use banana peels directly as a soil amendment in the autumn when preparing flower and veggie beds for the winter.

Chop them up and work them into the soil or add them whole. Again, just be sure to bury them deeply under mulch if adding them whole since they may attract mammalian nocturnal invaders.

3. Feed Your Seedlings

When planting seeds outdoors give them a direct jolt of nutrients by planting a banana peel along with them.

Dig a trench two inches deep and at least long enough to accommodate the banana peel strip. Lay banana peel strips flat with the inside facing up and put the seeds on top.

Cover with light, rich, well-drained soil, and water, care for your seeds as usual. As they germinate, create roots and begin growing they will greatly benefit from the rich fertilizer created by the decomposing banana peels.

4.Set Your Air Plant On A Banana Peel

When establishing an air plant on its backboard or trunk, set a whole banana peel as its base. Cover it with moss and set the plant over it. As the banana peel decays, its nutrients will be released for the benefit of your fern.

5. Keep Aphids Away

One reported use for banana peels in the garden is as an aphid deterrent. These little pests can decimate a garden before you can say “tomato sauce,” so keeping them away is important.

To use banana peels to prevent aphids, place chopped peels just under the soil line.

6. Use Bananas as a Plant Food Supplement

Soak a fresh banana peel in water for a day or two. Then use the water with the leached nutrients in it to water your staghorn (or other plants).  Don’t let the peel go to waste though!