You could reap major benefits from putting banana peels in your garden and while it might seem odd, it could help your plants grow. Bananas are a fruit you might eat regularly, but by binning the peel, you’re missing out on useful nutrients which could be used outdoors.
The low-cost solution will make the most of the growing season while maximising natural nutrients. While water and sunshine are vital, plants can fall short of the essential nutrients they get from the soil. An expert has revealed that putting banana peels in your garden could have a major benefit.
The right fertiliser is important to ensure a plant’s health as without it, growth can be stunted and flowers weakened, reports Liverpool Echo.
Fertilisers cannot make plants grow, but lack of nutrition will prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Leanne Samuelson from Prestige Botanicals has hailed breakfast leftovers as a way you could give your garden a boost.
The “secret garden tip” is one that doesn’t require spending a penny on expensive fertilisers or pest deterrents.
Most people will already have the ingredients in their kitchens, and Leanne recommends using banana peels, eggshells, and coffee grounds, usually items left behind after a breakfast.
She said: “All you need is a banana, an egg, and a cup of coffee. These breakfast scraps are a slow-release fertiliser, pest deterrent, and soil booster, all rolled into one.”
Explaining how the breakfast items may be beneficial to gardens, the gardening expert advises to simply save your banana peel, crush your eggshells, and collect the leftover coffee grounds.
Mix them together and add them to the soil around your plants. She added: “I pop my banana peels, crushed eggshells, and coffee grounds into a big zip-lock bag.
“I then stash it in an opaque bag in the bottom drawer of my fridge. When I’m ready, I mix them into the garden soil, and my plants thrive.”
Banana peels are rich in potassium and phosphorus, making them a great fertiliser that improves soil health while helping plants grow stronger. Potassium, in particular, is vital for flower production.
Leanne says your roses, in particular, will appreciate the extra potassium as it helps with the formation of flower buds.
Homestead How says: “Banana peels are not just kitchen scraps but an excellent way to enrich your garden. Banana peels offer a range of eco-friendly solutions, from boosting soil fertility to managing pests, proving that the outer layer of this popular fruit is as beneficial as its nutritious interior.”
With summer weather meaning you’ll be spending more time outdoors, there’s no better time to start adding extra nutrients to your garden.