Banana peels are favored by horticulturists as a natural source of fertilizing compounds. Rich in potassium, which is known for improving flowering rates in some of the most commercially important ornamentals, banana peels can break down into valuable organic matter. However, it must be said that simply placing these peels at the base of your crops won’t do much in terms of fertilization. Peel scraps need to break down before they can release their beneficial nutrients.
A few types of natural fertilizer can be made using banana peels. A liquid fertilizer, or “banana peel tea”, made by soaking clean peel scraps in water, should work for nutrient guzzlers. Plants that grow and spread quickly, either via seed dispersal or vegetative spread, may be boosted by this nutritional supplement. A longer-lasting fertilizer can be made by thoroughly drying the peels and pulverizing them. The powder can then be incorporated into bottom substrates or simply sprinkled around the base of flowering plants.
The tougher ends of banana peels, which take much longer to dry out and break down, can be thrown into a compost pile. This should infuse trace amounts of potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus into the decomposing mixture. As banana peels don’t contain nitrogen, which tends to promote leaf growth over flower production, they help ensure that more energy is directed into bud and fruit production.
1) Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
Now one of the most valuable fruiting crops in the world, the humble tomato plant produces edible berries with dozens of culinary uses. It comes in various cultivars – some grow to about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall whereas others keep to 3 feet (0.9 meters) or less and have a low, bushy habit. Technically speaking, the tomato plant is a trailing vine. With adequate support, its branching stems can remain upright. Its blooms, which are typically small (up to ¾ inches or 2 cm across) and yellow, may begin to appear after just 6 – 7 weeks of growth.
Potassium deficiency is a common ailment in unfertilized tomato plants. Symptoms include yellow margins on the plant’s newer foliage. It also leads to reduced flower production and arrested fruit ripening. Banana peel fertilizer should help maintain optimal potassium levels through the growth and fruiting period of tomato plants. Its cocktail of nutrients also boosts root growth and prevents end rot. Either dry or liquid formulations may even increase the yield and fruit size of your plants!
2) Staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
The staghorn fern is an epiphytic plant with ornamental uses. It can be anchored to a wall or suspended from the lower branches of a tree. As its common name suggests, this eye-catching ornamental produces fertile fronds that resemble the shape of a stag or an elk’s antlers. Spores are typically borne on the undersides of the bright green fronds. The sterile fronds, in contrast, clasp the base of the plant. Over time, these become brown and papery.
Although staghorn ferns don’t produce flowers or fruits, they benefit from being fed with banana fertilizer. The peels from organic bananas are best for this purpose. Clean peels can be tucked into the basal fronds of ferns that are hung outdoors. However, they are best fertilized with banana peel tea as this is unlikely to attract as many fruit flies as the fresh peels. This fern absorbs water and nutrients through its fronds, so it can be soaked or watered with the nutrient-rich tea.
3) Roses (Rosa spp.)
Chiefly cultivated for their throes of pastel-toned blooms, roses come in hundreds of eye-catching cultivars. Horticulturists continually strive to create varieties and maintain rosebushes that produce an abundance of new buds each year. These woody perennials now come in almost every size and growth habit. As the seasonal flowers of some varieties are commercially valuable, there are fertilizers concocted primarily for maximizing their bloom production.
In organic gardens and fruit farms, natural fertilizers, such as a solution made with banana peels, are preferred over artificial formulations. Banana peel fertilizer encourages higher bud production as it contains a high concentration of potassium but does not infuse the substrate with too much nitrogen. The potassium also helps strengthen the stems of rose bushes. 1 – 3 peels can be buried directly into the substrate around well-established bushes.
4) Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.)
Set apart by their hot and pungent fruits, which harbor some of the spiciest compounds known to man, chili peppers are cultivated in warm regions. These tropical to subtropical plants may occur as annual herbs or as perennial shrubs with increasingly woody stems. Their blooms tend to be star-shaped and possess white, yellow, purple, or green pigments. Those of some popular species, such as the bell pepper (C. annuum), face downwards as they hang from the stem.
In Capsicum species, a potassium deficiency can significantly delay the onset of fruit production and slow down the overall growth of the plant. If you find that the foliage of your pepper plants has brown spots, it may be high time to fertilize them with a potassium-rich solution. Banana peel fertilizer, in its organic, liquid form (infused with coconut water and brown sugar), has been shown to boost the growth rate and overall weight of C. annuum specimens.
5) Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.)
Some of the heftiest vegetables around, pumpkins are actually large berries – technically termed “pepo”. Those that are commercially cultivated today are varieties of C. maxima. A large vine, the stems of this species can trail over fertile substrates or climb up sturdy structures. Its seemingly energetic tendrils wrap tightly around the stems of other plants, wire meshes, and gapped fences. Yellow blooms are typically produced in fall, during which they must be pollinated by insects to produce fruits.
Potassium is highly important in pumpkin plants as it regulates stomatal opening as well as water and gas exchange. Its deficiency is usually manifested by stunted growth and poor flower and fruit production. A homemade banana peel liquid fertilizer should help keep your pumpkin plant’s potassium levels in check. As it contains trace amounts of sulfur, it may also help protect the roots by repelling pests and boosting overall resistance.
6) Orchids (Family Orchidaceae)
Widely cultivated for their remarkable blooms, which come in almost all colors and sport a host of fascinating morphologies, orchids are some of the most beloved perennials in the horticultural world. You might be surprised to find them on this list because most commercially popular varieties persist as epiphytes. Bananas and orchids are actually quite a good match! Banana peels give them a boost of growth and help protect their roots and foliage from potential pests.
For epiphytic orchids, you may use a powdered banana peel fertilizer, a diluted mixture of fermented banana peel tea, or brewed banana water (made by boiling chopped banana peels and diluting the cooled water). Most of the liquid should be sprayed directly onto the roots of your orchids. In well-ventilated areas, the leaves can also take a fair amount of fertilizer. The cocktail of nutrients in the water, coupled with the yeast produced via fermentation, should help force flowering.
7) Fruiting crops (Various species)
As fruits develop from fertilized flowers, fruiting crops require a high yield of seasonal blooms and successful pollination to flourish. These plants have high potassium requirements; they need this nutrient to stimulate bloom production and regulate water movement through the cells of their foliage. Potassium also influences the quality of fruits and vegetables. Deficiencies affect their acidity, color, size, shape, and flavor (sugar accumulation).
Fruiting crops like grapes and strawberries, as well as fruit trees like peaches and cherries, benefit from boosts in potassium. Banana peel fertilizer should thus serve as an organic source of important nutrients for these plants. You may experiment by using a banana-rich compost or some of the dried or liquid forms of banana peel fertilizer. Trees may appreciate buried banana peels, whereas smaller plants are more likely to benefit from a banana peel powder or a heavily diluted tea.
8) Corn (Zea mays)
One of the world’s most heavily cultivated grasses, corn is a crucial source of palatable grains. Some varieties are grown for human consumption, whereas others are a source of industrial oils and biofuels. Regardless of variety, corn requires an adequate concentration of potassium to increase the efficiency with which it can absorb other vital nutrients. A slight deficiency can significantly impede the crop’s growth and survival.
In impoverished countries like Uganda, where corn may be a crucial food source and industrial fertilizers are markedly expensive, banana peels look to be a cost-efficient nutrient source. Wherever bananas are abundant as a crop, their peels should be saved and processed as organic fertilizer. Interestingly, yellow banana peels and green banana peels may have differing effects on corn growth due to variations in pH and fiber composition.
9) Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
A close relative of the tomato, the humble eggplant is a versatile crop. Though it has a relatively low concentration of macronutrients, it is a fantastic culinary ingredient due to its capacity to absorb rich flavors. Like pumpkins and tomatoes, the eggplant is technically a berry. Its fleshy, egg-shaped (sometimes distinctly elongated) fruit contains bitter seeds encased in an edible, white tissue. These develop from white to purple blooms borne on herbaceous, branching stems.
There are several studies on the effects of a liquid banana peel fertilizer on the growth and yield of eggplant. As a rich source of potassium, this organic fertilizer has shown similar effects on eggplant production when compared to inorganic, potassium-rich fertilizers. Banana peel can stimulate chlorophyll production, enrich the soil’s microbial profile, and increase the overall productivity of eggplant.
10) Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Known for its maple syrup-like aroma and flavor, fenugreek is a popular culinary ingredient throughout its native range. Due to its potential to treat diabetes and stimulate milk production, it is also a pharmacologically important herb. Fenugreek favors semi-arid conditions and naturally occurs as an annual legume. Its white, yellow, or purple blooms develop into pods after fertilization. These contain distinctly odorous and spicy seeds.
The nutrients in banana peels have the potential to improve the germination success of fenugreek seeds. A nano-fertilizer extract, made from the peels, has been shown to increase germination rates. Apart from potassium, the nano-fertilizer contained urea, tryptophan, amino acids, citric acid, and iron. While it may be impossible to create this mixture without a lab, it does highlight the potential of banana peels as a germination booster! The next time your seeds fail to sprout, consider lightly spraying them with diluted banana peel water.
