Garden and house plantsneed water, fresh air and nutrients so that they can grow splendidly. It is therefore advisable to fertilize the flowers and perennials regularly, especially in spring and summer. There are many variants to choose from in stores. A special fertilizer is offered for almost every plant family. But it doesn't have to be that complicated: in most cases you can get by without special fertilizers and even make the fertilizer yourself. This way you can reduce the negative impact on the garden soil and biodiversity while enjoying high yields and a display of flowers. In today's article we will explain to you how you can make fertilizer from banana peels and tell you what other uses organic banana peels have in your home garden.
Make fertilizer from banana peels: Only use bananas from organic plantations
The banana belongsone of the most popular fruits among Germans. On average, a family of four eats around 400 bananas a year, which is around 14.5 kg per person. About a fifth of them - around 3 kilograms of banana peels - end up in organic waste. It's a shame, actually, because the peels of the exotic fruits are rich in nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. This makes them the perfect ingredients for a liquid fertilizer. You can make fertilizer using just banana peels or combine them with other materials like coffee or eggshells. The most important thing is that you only use bananas from organic farming. Conventionally produced bananas from the supermarket may contain pesticide residues. The plantations are treated with anti-mold agents before harvesting so that the fruit does not rot on the long journey to the supermarket. In addition, the bananas are highly susceptible to certain types of fungi and are therefore watered with special fungal agents during the ripening period. All of these harmful chemicals collect in the shell. If you use it to make fertilizer, the pesticides will end up in the soil and garden plants and can damage them. So if you want to make fertilizer from banana peels, you should use organic products.
Make your own fertilizer from banana peels: These plants will benefit from it
Fertilizer made from banana peels is suitableperfect for cropsand flowers with a high potassium requirement. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sugar beets and pumpkins. Flowers such as geraniums, roses and fuchsias also require potassium. However, the majority of soils in Germany are poor in potassium. This is particularly true for soils with a high humus or sand content. There oneOverdosing with potassium can harm plantsTo be on the safe side, you should first take a soil sample and have it examined in the laboratory. Even the cheapest soil analysis can determine the potassium content and serve as a guide.
Enrich the garden soil with banana peels
You can make different things from banana peelsMake your own fertilizers. Below we will explain to you what options you have and how to use the fertilizer produced correctly. If your garden soil is poor in nutrients, there is only one thing that can help: fertilization. Although the fertilizer made from banana peels is not suitable as a complete fertilizer, it can enrich the garden soil. The best time to do this is between mid-March and the end of April, just before you replant the garden. The easiest way to do this is to first chop the peels into small pieces or puree them finely in a smoothie blender. Then work the small pieces or puree into the soil, directly around the plant roots. This method is great for small gardens and raised beds where you want to plant flowers, ground covers and perennials with a high potassium requirement.
Make liquid fertilizer from banana peels, coffee grounds and eggshells
You can also make liquid fertilizer from banana peels. It will perfectly supply the young plants with all the necessary nutrients in spring. To do this, cut the banana peels into small pieces and let them dry in a sunny place. Leave 4-5 eggshells and around 30 to 50 g of coffee grounds to dry in a shady place. Then put both the eggshells and the dried banana peels in a blender or Thermomix and grind them finely. Then fill the resulting powder together with 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt (also available in pharmacies under the name Epsom salt) into a 1 liter spray bottle. Fill the bottle with lukewarm water, screw on the lid and shake vigorously until the egg-banana powder dissolves completely. You can fertilize the plants with it every two weeks.
Mix the irrigation water with fertilizer made from banana peels: This recipe ensures rapid growth of house and garden plants
Have you planted roses, geraniums or fuchsias and are now hoping for blooms in spring and summer? Then you can help the flowers and give them fertilizer made from banana peels with the irrigation water. The recipe is super simple. You will need about two handfuls of chopped banana peels to put in a pot. Then pour 1 liter of distilled water into the pot and bring it to the boil. Let the water simmer over low heat for about 3-4 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat. Let the liquid fertilizer steep for about 5-6 hours, then remove the banana pieces and pour only the liquid into sealable bottles. Dilute 100 ml of liquid fertilizer with 1 liter of lukewarm tap water and water the flowers once or twice a week.
This liquid fertilizer is also suitablegreat for tillandsias. Spray the plants twice a month to extend the flowering period.
Sow seeds with banana peels
Young plants need lots of nutrients. A trick will help you speed up seed germination. Sow the seeds along with small pieces of banana peel. If you start sowing at home, first place chopped banana peels in the holes and then the seeds on top. Moisten the seed with a spray bottle full of liquid fertilizer made from banana peels and water and then cover with soil.
Compost banana peels
Although bananas are exotic fruits, their peels can go into the compost heap. Provided, of course, that they are organic bananas. Even if you have made fertilizer from these banana peels, you can compost them. The organic bananas are not treated with pesticides and therefore rot much faster.
Leaf care for houseplants
In winter they decorate the winter garden or the house, in spring they are allowed back on the balcony or terrace: the houseplants must be able to withstand various environmental influences. Large-leaved plants in particular often suffer greatly when they change location. Dirt and dust prevent the leaves from absorbing sunlight and water from the spray bottle. That's why it's worth wiping the leaves with a damp cloth once a week. Moisten the cloth with a solution of liquid fertilizer from banana peels and tap water.
Attract butterflies and birds and finally fight fruit flies in the garden
Banana peels can attract beneficial insects and birds to the garden. Hang the bowls on a tree or tall shrub in the garden. However, do not leave them in the garden overnight as this can also attract pests.
Especially in summer, young and old alike enjoy spending time in the garden. The dining area is also moved outside. But to make dinner with the family really fun, insects such as fruit flies must first be fought. We explain how you can make a fruit fly trap yourself using banana peels. Place 3-4 banana peels in a transparent plastic box and drizzle with 4-5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Poke holes in the lid and hang the plastic box in a sunny place.
Banana peels can improve soil quality and successfully replace fertilizer from the garden center. However, make sure that you only make the fertilizer from organic bananas. You can cut the peels into small pieces and let them steep in water overnight or bring them to the boil briefly. You can also puree the shells in the Thermomix or dry them and grind them together with dried eggshells. Depending on whether you make a slow-release fertilizer or a liquid fertilizer, you can fertilize the plants with it two to twelve times a month.
