Banana peel is a natural food that is suitable for growing garden flowers. Using this fertilizer, you can saturate the soil with a large amount of useful microelements, without using chemical and artificial additives.
Basic properties of fertilizer
Banana peel contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. Moreover, this natural fertilizer contains very little nitrogen. The chemical composition of the fertilizer determines its main advantages when growing flowers:
- Potassium contained in the composition promotes active flowering.
- Phosphorus is also important during flowering. In addition, it helps the plant’s root system to develop properly and makes it stronger and more resilient.
- Calcium will help saturate the soil with oxygen and make it more fertile.
- By spraying plants with an infusion of banana peels, you can protect them from various insects, primarily aphids.
This fertilizer also has disadvantages:
- Once on the surface of the soil, the peel begins to mold and emit an unpleasant odor.
- Ants respond well to the smell of banana skins and can settle in the area.
How to prepare peels for fertilizer
Very ripe banana skins are best suited for garden use. If the fruit has brown spots, it means it is especially useful for growing flowers.
It is worth remembering that in order for bananas to retain their presentation for longer, they are treated with special chemicals. Therefore, they must be thoroughly cleaned before use.
To do this, dilute 2 teaspoons of soda in 1 liter of warm water. After which the banana skins are placed in the solution for 10–15 minutes. If you collect the peel in advance, you need to take care of its storage. To do this, it can be frozen or dried in the sun.
Fertilizer recipes
Making banana fertilizer does not take much time. In order not to harm the plant, but to benefit it, you must strictly follow the instructions and choose the appropriate recipe.
Fresh use
Banana peels can be used to make garden soil more fertile and nutritious. To do this you need to follow the instructions:
- fresh peel must be cut into small cubes;
- 3 weeks before planting, the soil on the site is dug up and the resulting fertilizer is applied to the holes;
- The top dressing must be covered with a layer of soil.
This fertilizing will improve the soil structure and make flowering brighter and more beautiful.
Infusion
Using banana peel infusion during watering promotes the development of the root system and improves flowering. This infusion can also be used as an insect repellent. To do this, plants are sprayed with banana extract from a spray bottle.
You can prepare the infusion according to the following recipe:
- The peels of 3 bananas are crushed and placed at the bottom of a 3-liter jar.
- The fertilizer is poured with water and the lid is tightly closed to avoid an unpleasant odor.
- The infusion is left in a warm place for 2–3 weeks.
- After preparation, the infusion is filtered through a sieve and diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 20.
You can then spray the flowers with this infusion to protect them from aphids. It can also be used instead of watering once a month.
Dried banana peel
This type of feeding is considered the most convenient and safe, since when dried, most harmful substances come out of the banana peel. There are several ways to dry skins:
- The skins are placed on a sunny windowsill or radiator, then covered with gauze and periodically turned over.
- The peel can be dried in the oven by baking it at minimum power for 2-3 hours.
- The best way is to dry it in the sun. Since in this case all the useful substances remain in the peel, while the chemicals evaporate. The skins are cut into thin strips, strung on threads and hung in a sunny place with good ventilation.
Next, the peel is crushed in a mortar or coffee grinder. You can use this fertilizer by scattering it over the surface of the soil. In order for fertilizing to work faster, this procedure is performed immediately before watering.
Banana peel is a source of a large amount of useful substances necessary for beautiful and vibrant flowering. The use of such feeding does not require special knowledge. The main rule is to process the banana skin before use. Next, just choose the most convenient method of use and follow the recommendations.
