Orchids are well-loved for their gorgeous sweet-smelling pink blossoms – but it can be frustrating when they don’t bloom as often as you like. Fortunately, there’s one common kitchen scrap that you can add to help them blossom more frequently.
There are many different tips and tricks that gardeners can use to help their plants grow. However, few things are better for the planet than utilising food waste. According to Waste Managed, the UK wastes a shock 9.5 million tonnes of food every year – the highest in Europe. So the next time you’re about to toss away this common kitchen scrap, save it for your garden instead.
Olivia Liang is a gardening expert and author of the novel ‘Gardening Against Time’. She revealed that banana peels will help orchids bloom routinely rather than just once a year, as previously reported by The Mirror.
She said: “Believe it or not, banana peels can be a terrific organic fertiliser to help your orchids bloom! Who would have thought that something we consider garbage has such great value for our plants?”
She continued: “When I first heard this idea, I was sceptical too. But after trying it myself, I’m a believer. My orchids used to bloom so sporadically, maybe once or twice a year if I was lucky. But ever since switching to banana peels as a fertilizer, they bloom like clockwork several times a year.”
This is because banana peels are extremely rich in potassium. Potassium is one of the core nutrients that plants, including orchids, need to grow healthily. It’s particularly helpful as we we enter the summer season, as it also helps plants retain water. This in turn makes them far more resistant to drought.
Aside from potassium, the peel contains a healthy dose of calcium and magnesium. These minerals help to promote root growth and assist with photosynthesis.
Banana peel also rich in sulphur, which helps plants develop strong roots and prevent pest infestations. This includes attacks from aphids, small sap-sucking insects that can stunt plant growth, damage leaves and even spread diseases like turnips yellows virus.
When placing the banana skins in your garden, ensure that you put them in a single layer on the soil. Also take care to avoid touching the plant roots.
If you pile them on top of each other, it can take them too long to break down. This will leave an unsightly (and stinking) mess in your garden.
An alternative is to grind the peel into a fine powder using a blender. The powder will act as an effective slow release fertilizer and will avoid ruining your lawn.
The best part is that bananas can be picked up for incredibly cheap. Sainsbury’s sells loose fair trade bananas for just 90p.
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