Banana peels are known to be asorganic fertilizer in the gardenWork miracles. Their ability to promote flower growth is phenomenal and well known in garden centers. But is fertilizing orchids with banana peels the best solution? Unlike common houseplants, orchids have a slower growth cycle. The ethylene gas contained in banana peels stimulates abnormal growth that is unhealthy for the orchids. However, not everything in life is black or white and banana peels fall into this category. That's why at the end of the article we'll show you a method on how you can fertilize your orchids with bananas without harming the plants.
NPK of banana peels
The NPK ratio is the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in fertilizer, the three main macronutrients that plants need. All fertilizers have or should have this ratio printed on the label. While many fertilizers have a balanced NPK ratio of 20-20-20, others have a very variable amount. With an NPK of 11-35-15, the strongest component is phosphorus. It's hard to find a fertilizer high in potassium, and banana peels are great sources of potassium. Numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of banana peels in crop production, such as this study conducted byScientific Research An American Publisherwas published.(Those 1)
In studies conducted by Frontiers in Plant Science, Crop and Product Physiology, the main symptoms of potassium deficiency are aberrant growth, yellowing of the outer edge of older leaves due to the breakdown of chlorophyll, and disruption of the plant's osmoregulation.(Those 2)
According to the study mentioned above, 75% of rice fields in China and 67% of soils in South Australia are potassium deficient, that is, they do not reach the desired level of 0.3 mm. This result has led to the widespread use of high-dose potassium fertilizer addition to the soil and has been transferred to home gardens worldwide.
Banana peels have an extremely high potassium content. Now you see why it is so valued in the plant world.
Methods of using banana peels in orchid care
Although banana peels have a high concentration of potassium, banana peels should not be used for orchid care for three reasons: (1) the ethylene gas, which slows their development, (2) the fungus that grows in banana water, and (3) the natural attraction to ants and aphids. First, let's take a closer look at the three methods for fertilizing orchids with banana peels.
1. Make your own banana tea
In this method, the ripe banana peels are cut into small squares and placed in a container with water. After a week, the water will turn dark brown and resemble a honey-colored solution. Due to the fermentation of the banana peels, it can have shiny white bubbles on the surface.
Potassium leaches quickly into the water, so this “tea” method has a very high potassium content. Drain the water and remove the old, decomposed banana peels. Now comes the important part: You should dilute this solution with 2/3 of clean water and only then water the orchids.
Here's why this method is bad for the orchids
The white bubbles that have formed on the surface of the water mean that fermentation is taking place. This creates a perfect habitat for more harmful bacteria to multiply. Where there are a lot of bacteria, fungi also grow. And then you add this water to your orchid? This may work for houseplants, but with orchids you willFungus is very difficult to get rid ofbecause orchids love the higher humidity. On other houseplants, the fungus will die over time. This is not the case in an orchid pot.
2. Place the banana peels directly on the roots
With this method, you can also use the same chopped banana peels and place them on the soil to decompose naturally in the pot. The real problem with this method is that ripe banana peels produce a gas called ethylene. This gas speeds up the growth process for most plants, allowing them to bloom faster and have more vibrant, longer-lasting blooms. That's wonderful, isn't it? No, it really isn't.
For other houseplants, the life cycle can be accelerated without harming the plant. Orchids, on the other hand, are slow-growing plants and this has the opposite effect on them.
3. Dry banana peels and use as powdered fertilizer
The third method is the safest we have found in our research on banana peels and orchids. In this method, you dry the banana peels in the sun (you can also bake them) until they turn into a black, crispy peel. Crush this peel into a fine powder and dilute it in water. With this method the potassium content is lowest.
How orchids can react badly to banana peels
After flowering, an orchid needs to focus on growing new roots - healthy new roots - and not just "dangling", weak roots. The ethylene gas mentioned above will speed up this growth process. However, ethylene does not stimulate root growth: it concentrates on the flowers and seeds. The entire reproductive cycle of the orchid is stimulated to grow, causing the roots to suffer.
That's one reason it's hard to convince people to give up banana tea for orchids. The results in the form of flowers are there. They are visible. The flower immediately works to develop an inflorescence, and when it is already developed, the flowers are bright and colorful. But they wither quickly. What initially started as a good thing can end up killing the orchid.
All the energy that should have gone into developing strong, healthy roots or leaves was put into creating new flowers. Once the flowers have withered, you are left with an extremely weak orchid that cannot rely on its roots.
Which method is best when using banana peels as DIY fertilizer?
If you still want to fertilize your orchid with bananas, it is best to choose the third method. The trick is to only use this type of fertilizer when the orchidshortly before or already in the flowering phaseis. If you fertilize the orchid with banana peel fertilizer while it is concentrating on leaf growth, you will hinder your orchid's natural growth.
You can use the banana peel fertilizer if youPotassium deficiency in orchidsnotice, but this is a rarity. In a study(Those 3)All Phalaenopsis plants were found to have died at the end of each flowering cycle when severe potassium deficiency was detected. Signs of potassium deficiency include “yellowing (chlorosis), irregular purple spots, and necrosis (dying/browning) after bud break and flowering.” In any case, banana peels would be beneficial in this case.
Sources:
1. Comparative Study of Various Organic Fertilizers Effect on Growth and Yield of Two Economically Important Crops, Potato and Pea (2018)Scientific Research/ An American Publisher
2. Potassium Deficiency Significantly Affected Plant Growth and Development as Well as microRNA-Mediated Mechanism in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (2020)Frontiers in Plant Science, Crop and Product Physiology
3. Potassium Nutrition Affects Phalaenopsis Growth and Flowering. Yin-Tung Wang (2007)American Society of Horticultural Science
