Once you’re finished snacking on a banana, don’t throw the peel away. An expert has advised that blending them into juice can actually provide a great nutrient-filled drink for plants.
An estimated 30 million Brits are trying their hand at gardening this summer. This means more of us are attempting to grow our own flowers, fruits and veg. Not only is gardening a great activity for keeping fit and getting outdoors, it also provides the perfect opportunity to cut down on food waste. According to Waste Managed, over 9 million tonnes of unnecessary food rubbish is tossed away in the UK every year.
While many different kinds of kitchen scraps can be used in your garden, Banana peel makes a fantastic food source for plants. This is because they contain several nutrients necessary for plant growth.
Expert groundskeeper Ian shared his advice on the UK holiday site shorefield.co.uk : “Bananas are full of nutrients that plants love, like potassium, potash, calcium and sulfur.” While the bulk of a banana’s potassium is contained in the pulp, the peel is also relatively rich in the nutrient.
Potassium plays a crucial role in almost all parts of a plant’s development, including growth and reproduction. Importantly, it also heavily aids in water regulation. This means as we come into the dryer summer months it makes plants more resistant to drought.
It also makes them more resistant to common garden pests, like aphids. This is because it strengthens a plant’s cell walls, making it more difficult for insects to chew through leaves and other tissues.
Equally, banana peel is high in calcium, which also helps strengthen the walls of plant cells. This makes them more resistant to common diseases. Equally, it also acts as a signal for plants to activate their antiviral defences.
Sulfur also helps enormously with plant growth. This is partly because it increases the acidity of the soil, which is beneficial for popular British flowers like hydrangeas and azaleas.
Of course, no one particularly wants a load of slimy banana peels littering their plant beds. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround that won’t leave your garden looking unclean.
According to Ian, all you need is a blender. He advised: “Throw your unwanted banana peels in a blender with a little bit of water, blend the mixture up and pour it around your roses and tomatoes to give them a little nutrient boost.”
This creates a fantastic fertilizer that can be laid out directly on your plant soil. Simply pour it straight from the bottle and let it seep into the ground.
Alternatively, you can also soak banana peels in water for several days. Eventually, the nutrients leech out into the water, which can then be sprayed directly onto your plant bed.
If you would prefer to create a dry fertiliser, you can also bake the banana peels in an oven under a low heat. The low temperature allows the skins to retain their nutrients while removing the moisture content. This can then be ground into a powder and sprinkled on plant beds.
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