If you want your flowers to bloom for longer, there’s a natural method to help using a common kitchen scrap that you probably already have at home
If you want your flowers to bloom for longer, there’s a natural method to help using a common kitchen scrap that you probably already have at home(Image: Roy Morsch via Getty Images)
For those with gardens full of winter annual blooms and foliage, there’s a clever trick to extend their flowering period before the seasons shift. Green-fingered TikTok sensation Ish has shared advice for gardeners to utilise kitchen waste and leftovers to provide their flowers with an additional boost of vitality and nutrition, reports the Express.
The best part? There’s no need to splash out on chemical or shop-bought plant feeds, as the gardening guru suggested raiding your kitchen for a natural solution instead. Among food waste items, many offer surprising advantages for your garden – and bananas are no exception.
Ish explained: “Bananas make a really tasty snack, but they also make a really good food to boost the flowers on your winter annuals.”
Chop up the peels and soak them in a jar of water for one to two days(Image: Getty)
How to use banana peels in gardens
The process is simple: take a jar, fill it with water and chop the banana skins into smaller chunks. Pop the pieces into the water and leave them to steep for approximately one to two days.
You’ll notice the water taking on a brownish tint, which signals that the goodness has seeped out from the skins. This banana-infused water can then be poured onto plants to deliver a nutrient-rich treat.
Ish added: “And as a result, it should give them a nice longer flowering season. The skin itself can go in the compost bin, and as for the actual banana, well, that’s a free snack.”
Bananas are packed with various nutrients beneficial for plant growth, including potassium for vibrant and substantial flowers; phosphorus for strong roots and new growth; and magnesium for effective photosynthesis. The calcium found in banana skins is equally crucial for healthy plant development.
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Gardening specialist Drew Swainston, for Homes & Gardens, explained: “That makes them a good fertilizer for specific circumstances. Potassium encourages both fruiting and flowers, so that makes banana peels a great fertilizer for fruit and vegetables like tomatoes or peppers, or any flowering ornamental plants.
“Bananas also contain calcium, which is a vital nutrient in combating blossom end rot in tomatoes.”
If soaking banana skins in water doesn’t appeal, you can alternatively dehydrate them to create a fertiliser and enjoy the same advantages. TikTok user The Container Gardener recommended to their audience that banana skins can be dried using either an oven or air fryer.
This needs to be carried out at a gentle heat with the oven door left slightly open. The Container Gardener dehydrated them for six and a half minutes at 180 degrees.
The skins ought to be brown and crispy once ready. The peels should then be ground or blended into a fine powder.
Dust the homemade fertiliser over your soil or into plant containers. If you’re not applying the fertiliser immediately, keep it in an airtight container or jar.
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