This handy gardening hack could give your plants a new lease of life.
Spring is finally on the horizon and, for many of us, it’s time to start cleaning up our gardens so that we’re ready for the first flowers to bloom. You may even have some seedlings sitting on your windowsill or in a greenhouse that are just itching to get into the healthy soil outside so they can start growing.
Taking care of plants is no easy task. Many of them need fertilisers and plant food to make sure they are as healthy as possible, and this can quickly get expensive when you’re buying specially formulated products.
But did you know that you can actually make a liquid fertiliser at home that will give your plants many of the key nutrients they need? What’s more, you only need one food item for the DIY hack – and it’s something you’d normally just throw away.
The trick was shared on TikTok by the Jungle Culture account, where a woman explained that banana peels are “amazing” for your garden and can be used to make fertiliser when mixed with water.
In her video, the woman dubbed her trick the “ultimate food waste hack,” as it helps you use banana peels that you’d normally just chuck in the bin without a second thought.
She said: “If you’ve got houseplants or a garden, you’re going to want to know about this trick. Next time you eat a banana, simply peel it, shred [the peel], put it in water for two to three days, and you’ve got a beautiful fertiliser to use on your plants. How amazing is that?”
The banana peel will need a couple of days in the water to get to work but can be left for up to two weeks. You should strain the water once your banana has marinated for long enough, then put it into a spray bottle or watering can for your plants. The trick can be used on both houseplants and garden plants.
According to Plant In, the “compost tea” works because banana peels contain essential nutrients for plant growth, like magnesium, phosphorus and calcium, and the amount of nutrients that end up in the infused water isn’t substantial enough to cause fertiliser overdose so it should be completely safe for your plants.
However, they claimed that banana water isn’t a “total replacement” for fertiliser across the board, and noted that there “aren’t many scientific studies on its benefits” – despite many gardeners swearing by it.
While the trick can be used on any plants that benefit from the nutrients in banana peels, Plant In also warned that the sugar from the banana may attract flies or insects to your plants, so using it on houseplants should be done sparingly.
How to use banana peels
If you don’t want to use your banana peels on your plants, here are some alternative uses:
- Beauty and skincare: Banana peels could help with your skincare routine. Rubbing banana peel on dry or irritated skin can help hydrate and soothe the affected area, as the peel contains natural oils and antioxidants. You can also use small pieces of peel under your eyes for an anti-puffiness treatment.
- Cleaning and polishing: Rubbing banana peels on leather items like shoes, bags, or belts can help bring out their natural shine when buffed with a soft cloth. Blending banana peels with water can also make a paste that can polish tarnished silver.
- Cooking and food uses: You can use banana peels to help keep meat moist and tender when roasting, simply by adding the peel to your roasting pan.
- Household hacks: Drying out banana peels and putting them in muslin bags or jars can help absorb odours in your home. You can also rub the inside of the peel on stubborn stains on pots and pans for a natural grease remover.
