Don’t Throw Away Banana Peels! Use Them to Keep Your Houseplants Healthy
As a proud owner of several houseplants, I always look forward to winter coming to a close. The chilly weather tends to do a number on my plants, and I’m always looking for easy solutions to ensure that they thrive during the colder seasons. Toxic chemicals, especially those found in fertilizer, are a huge no-no for my plants. This is because it prevents them from growing (a plant parent’s worst nightmare!). Thankfully, I came across a tip that turns a leftover banana peel into a natural fertilizer you can use to keep plants healthy all year round!
Are banana peels a good fertilizer for plants?
It might sound weird that a banana peel is the key to keeping houseplants alive. But banana peels are rich in potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. These minerals are found in soil and are necessary for plant growth. Using banana peels as fertilizer helps to nourish your plants naturally with essential minerals to keep them vibrant and green!
How do you use banana peels as fertilizer?
Gardening guru Armen Adamjan shares a simple trick for using a leftover banana peel as fertilizer on his TikTok (@creative_explained). First, he chops the peel into one inch pieces before placing them in a measuring cup filled with two cups of room temperature water. If you own a lot of plants, feel free to double or triple the measurements of this banana peel fertilizer as needed.
Adamjan lets the chopped banana peel soak in the water for about an hour right on his counter. This step allows the peel to release its natural minerals into the water. Once an hour has passed, he waters the plants normally with this nutrient-rich fertilizer. You can remove the banana pieces from the water with a spoon to prevent them from getting onto the leaves and soil.
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to add this hack to your plant care routine!
Tracey Besemer, gardening writer at the Rural Sprout, suggests using banana peel fertilizer once a week. This way, your houseplants will get enough nutrients to flourish — no matter the season.
For me, it’s nice to know that food scraps such as banana peels don’t have to go to waste when it comes to repurposing them for my plants. I’ll also be holding onto the leftover coffee grounds from my morning cup to drive away any insects and pests that might otherwise ruin my beloved greenery!
