For the last few years, a plant fertilizing hack has been circulating the internet and it is time to put it to rest. This ‘hack’ claims that using banana peel water for plants is a cheap, natural way to fertilize your garden and houseplants to boost plant growth.
Bananas do have potassium which is a valuable nutrient for plants, but research has shown that banana peel water is not an effective fertilizer and could even harm your plants. There are ways to use bananas in the garden, but this hack needs to be put to rest once and for all.
Let’s explore more about this trend, what it claims to do, and what scientists and professional gardeners recommend instead.
What is Banana Peel Water?
Banana peel water is made by steeping banana peels in either room temperature or boiling water with the goal of extracting potassium and other nutrients from the peels into the water. Then gardeners are supposed to water their houseplants with this banana peel tea and, supposedly, it will boost their plants’ growth as a free, natural fertilizer.
Potassium is an essential nutrient that is crucial for plant growth. Soil sometimes lacks enough potassium which is where fertilizers come into play. Potassium is necessary for the photosynthetic process, building cellulose, and increasing root growth, but banana peel water is not an effective way to deliver potassium to your plants.
Does Banana Peel Water Work?
In short, no. Banana peel water does not provide enough potassium to plants to be a useful organic fertilizer. Just because it is ‘natural’ does not mean it works. This hack could actually end up harming your plants. Pouring sugary banana peel water on your plants can lead to mold growth and destroy all your hard work.
You also don’t know what pesticides were used on your bananas before they got to you. Using banana peel water on your plants could mean you are unwittingly dousing them with whatever was used on the banana farm which might not be good for the health of your plants. And after you make your banana peel tea, that peel is just going to end up in the trash so it isn’t helping the environment either.
Additionally, some internet gardeners suggest cutting up banana peels and burying them in the soil around plants like roses. This is also a bad idea. The banana peels will take a long time to break down in the soil, thus creating a perfect environment for mold. This can also attract scavenging wildlife that you probably don’t want digging around in your garden.
Alternative to Banana Peel Water for Plants
Master gardeners and agricultural scientists all agree, the best way to fertilize your plants with banana peels is to compost the peels before adding them to your soil. Placing banana peels in your home compost pile will add potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and phosphorus to the mix.
Banana peels break down quickly in compost, as opposed to their slow degradation when just buried in soil. This means that you get more of those beneficial nutrients in your compost. You can speed up your composting even more with the Reencle home composter that is available from the Gardening Know How Shop.
Composting at home can be very easy and is a great way to reduce the amount of food waste that goes into garbage dumps. Properly maintaining and turning your compost pile is important to ensure that the compost will have the most nutrients and beneficial microbes possible.
You can also test your soil to see if it is lacking specific nutrients and then purchase fertilizer to address those deficiencies. Commercial fertilizers are developed by experts and can address issues you may be having with your plants quickly and efficiently. Your local garden center and bigger stores like Home Depot have many options for fertilizer, and gardening experts who can help you pick one out.
Try composting your banana peels or making compost tea instead of using banana peel water for your plants. This internet hack is busted.
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