10+ Ingenious Ways to Recycle Banana Peels for Your Garden

For those who compost, banana peels are already a part of the process since they are tossed into your compost pile or compost bin. However, there are a variety of alternative applications for banana peels in the garden, including usage as a natural fertilizer and as a natural bug repellent. Here in this post, we’ll show you several creative methods to make the most of this useful piece of rubbish. Read on to find out more! Continue reading to find out more.

10+ Uses for Banana Peels in Your Garden

What is the purpose of these banana peels, and why are they useful? Given the high nutritional value of banana skins and peels, they are a fantastic source of natural fertilizer for your lawn and garden. They provide the following for your plants:

Potassium Fertilizer: This nutrient aids in the development of strong roots in your plants, as well as the distribution of water and nutrients throughout the plant. Potassium assists in the regulation of plant enzymes and the development of stronger stems in your plants. All of this contributes to the development of disease-and pest-resistant plants that are robust and durable.

Phosphorus: Additionally, phosphorus aids in the development of healthy roots and shoots, and it is required for the formation of successful blooms, pollen, and fruit in order for the plant to reproduce. Plants that get a sufficient amount of phosphorus grow large and robust. Bone meal is also a nice option.

Calcium: Roots and stems are likewise reliant on a sufficient supply of calcium to maintain strength and healthy root and stem growth. Calcium aids in the breakdown of soil nutrients such as nitrogen, and it aids in the movement of other minerals through a plant’s system, among other things.

Magnesium: This is a mineral that promotes proper photosynthesis, which is critically necessary for all aspects of plant development and health, including flowering and fruiting.

Make the most of these essential nutrients by following these suggestions!

1. Make a cup of banana peel tea.

Using just banana peels and water, you can make an all-natural liquid organic banana peel fertilizer that is high in potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen and is rich in these nutrients. This combination nourishes and strengthens plants, as well as aids in their resistance against disease and insect attack.

You may make this healthy banana peel fertilizer tea in a variety of ways, including:

a. Pour about three-quarters of the mixture into a large jar (about 2 quarts) of water and set aside.Then, in your refrigerator, place the jar of water. Cut the banana peel into little pieces and place them in a bowl of water whenever you eat a banana.

Keep the jar of boiling banana water in your refrigerator for approximately a week to keep the flavor fresher longer. When it is completely filled, filter off the peels and combine the banana water with a gallon of ordinary water to make a drink. Make this “compost tea” and use it to water your plants to provide them with a healthy amount of minerals.

b. If you don’t want to keep a jar of chopped peels in your refrigerator, you may make small batches of banana peel tea for plants in your kitchen or garden. This is accomplished by adding banana peels to a 1-quart Mason jar filled with water and shaking well. Allow the jar to remain at room temperature for two days with the lid just loosely secured. To utilize the water, just remove the peel and use it as-is to water your plants.

Please keep in mind that I would NOT recommend using bananas on interior home plants without first doing some research.

2. Keep the peels that have been saturated in water!

 

Banana skins that have been soaked may be used as fertilizer. Dehydrate them and then crush them into a powder for incorporation straight into the soil, or puree the soaked peels into a slurry in your blender for incorporation into the soil. Work the slurry into the soil around the plants to provide nutrients while also acting as a measure of pest control to a certain extent.

When beginning seedlings, dehydrated banana peel powder is a great addition to the mix. To ensure that your seeds get off to the best possible start, put a pinch of salt into the starter mix in each pot. Remember to add the soaked banana peels to your compost heap or bin for an extra boost of nutrients! –

3. Banana peels to control pests in your garden.

 

 

Working chopped banana peels into the soil around your plants not only provides nutrition for the plants, but it also acts as a natural insect deterrent, helping to keep green aphids and other pests at bay. To help repel aphids, you may also spray your compost tea straight onto the plants themselves. As an added advantage, the nutrients in the compost tea will be absorbed by your plants via their leaves.

4. Organic Composting with banana peels.

 

Using banana peels (whole, diced up, soaked, or as a slurry) in your compost pile, bin, or vermi-composting system is a wonderful suggestion, regardless of whether you compost in a pile, bin, or vermi-composting arrangement. Whole banana peels should be added to the compost pile, but they should be buried deeply near the composting coffee grinds to avoid attracting pests such as raccoons and possums.

Soaking, cutting, grinding, or producing a slurry of banana peels makes the nutrients more accessible to plants and accelerates the breakdown of the peel more quickly than any other method. As a result, some kind of pre-composting treatment is highly recommended.

5. Make modifications to your potting soil.

Composted peels may be added straight to the soil as a soil supplement in the fall while preparing flower and vegetable beds for the winter months. Chop banana peels into small pieces and include them in the potting mix, or leave them intact. Just be careful to bury them thoroughly under mulch if you’re putting them in whole, since they can attract predatory mammalian nighttime intruders.

Positively, they attract beneficial insects, worms, and bacteria that will work tirelessly during the winter months to improve the quality of your soil’s organic matter. Have you considered using banana peels or a banana combination to fertilize roses or to sow tomato plants in their planting holes?

When roses are “fed” banana peels, coffee grinds, and egg shells, they react extremely positively, producing brighter blooms and more blossoms than they would otherwise.

6. Plant a Banana Peel in the Ground.

 

In order to provide seedlings with an immediate burst of nutrients, place a banana peel beside them while sowing seeds in the ground. For the banana peel strip, dig a trench two inches deep and at least twice the length of the banana peel strip. Place the banana peels on a level surface with the inner facing up and the seeds on top of the peels.

Cover the seeds with light, rich, well-drained soil and water, and care for them as you normally would. It is expected that they will benefit considerably from the abundant nutrients provided by decaying banana peels as they hatch, establish roots, and begin to develop.

7. Use bananas to create a calcium-rich banana fertilizer spray.

 

While banana peel tea spray is pleasant, adding eggshells and Epsom salts elevates it to a spectacular level. To make an effective spray-on liquid fertilizer, mix the following ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth:

• Three eggshells that have been crushed, dried, and powdered
• Four banana peels that have been dried and crushed up
• One tablespoon at a time, Epsom salts
• A pint of pure water

On “high,” blend or process the ingredients. When all of the components have been properly dissolved in the water, the combination is complete. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into a one-quart spray bottle to be used as a foliar fertilizer.

8. Set banana peel traps for insects!

Using a food processor, finely chop banana peels and store them in a plastic jar with a cover. Large yogurt tubs, margarine tubs, and other similar containers are ideal for this project.The banana peel should be covered with apple cider vinegar, and the tub should be covered with the lid. In order for flies to get into the tub, make holes in the lid that are big enough (you may want to do this before putting the cover on!)

Flies and other garden pests will be attracted to the aroma of the banana peel and vinegar, which will keep them away. They will penetrate through the holes in the floor and drown in the liquid underneath them. While this apparatus will almost definitely not catch every fly in your garden, it will assist you in getting rid of a significant number of them.

9. Start a fermentation with your banana peels.

In addition to being a wonderful side dressing, fermented banana peel slurry also serves as a nutritional boost for blossoming plants. This combination aids in the production of larger and better flowers. To make a fermented banana peel slurry, put a few banana peels in a mason jar and cover with water. Let it sit for 24 hours. Placing a weight on top of the skins will ensure that they remain immersed in water. Cover the jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band to prevent it from falling over.

Allow the jar to settle at a suitable room temperature in dim light for approximately a week before using it. This will enable the good bacteria in the banana peel to release the nutrients that are present inside the skin. Drain the peels at the end of the week, reserving the water for use as a liquid fertilizer the following week.

Purée the peels in a blender until they are smooth and creamy. Use the resultant slurry as a side dressing for plants that are in full bloom. It is important to note that if your mixture stinks strongly or displays signs of black mold, you should not use it.

10. Give Your Blueberries a Drink of Banana Vinegar.

If you have blueberries or other acid-loving plants, banana vinegar will be a welcome treat. To produce this nutrient-dense supplement, start by fermenting banana peels in the manner indicated above.

Instead of utilizing the water as a liquid fertilizer at the end of the week, keep it in the jar till the following week. Cover and set aside for 4 to 6 weeks, during which time the banana water will ferment and turn into vinegar. When your mixture begins to smell like vinegar, you will know you have completed your mission. Make sure to dilute it if the scent is overpowering in order to prevent scorching your plants.

11. Using banana peels to feed your “air plants,” such as staghorns, is a great idea.

Unlike epiphytic perennials, such as Elk Horn and Staghorn ferns, epiphytic perennials do not need soil to thrive. They get all of their nutrition from the air in which they are living. By spraying them with your foliar fertilizer, you can ensure that they get the nutrients they need to thrive at their maximum potential.

12. Place your air plant on top of a banana peel (optional).

When creating an air plant on a backboard or trunk, banana peels may be used as the plant’s foundation. Cover it with moss, and then place the plant on top of it. As the banana peel decomposes, the nutrients it contains will be released into the environment, benefiting your fern.

Some Simple Steps to Dry Banana Peels

If you have a food dehydrator, you can produce dried banana peels by simply following the directions on the package. Other options include drying the cookies at a very low temperature (140°) in the oven.

You may either cut them into little pieces or leave them whole, depending on your preference. It is recommended that you keep the oven door open just a crack to allow for proper ventilation. Don’t go away from the group! Stay close by and keep an eye on your peels so that you can remove them after they have dried completely.

Keep your banana peels in a plastic bag in the freezer until you’re ready to soak, cut, and/or dry them. This will save you time and ensure that you get the most out of your bananas!

In fact, you may freeze entire bananas in the freezer for use in smoothies and other recipes later. The ability to take advantage of ripe bananas on the market as a result of this technique will undoubtedly increase the nutritional content of your diet as well as the nutritional value of your plants.