Banana water for plants: a DIY fertilizer that will help your plants thrive

When it comes to gardening, we all want our plants to be healthy and lush. To ensure this, many gardeners use fertilizers.

If you want an all-natural fertilizer - perhaps one you make yourself - you might try banana peels, recommended for their high content in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium.

So, how exactly are banana peels used for a DIY fertilizer? Let's find out below:

What is banana peel fertilizer and how best to use it

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Banana peels (sometimes called "skins") are excellent fertilizers for your plants, especially during their flowering and fruiting periods thanks to their high potassium content. The fertilizer is prepared by macerating (steeping) banana peels in water and can be administered to plants every 15 days; boiling the peels in water could increase the effectiveness of this fertilizer by extracting more nutrients.

There is no scientific evidence to support the use of banana peels as a fertilizer, but many gardeners swear by it and claim to have had great results - especially with orchids, roses, hydrangeas, tomatoes, chili peppers and succulent plants.

Of course, banana peels alone are not sufficient for the correct and complete fertilization of your plants, due to the nutrients they lack: use banana peel fertilizer in association with other natural resources, such as compost or rice water (for irrigation).

How to prepare banana peel water

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So, how is banana peels liquid fertilizer prepared? There are two different methods:

• The heated method: this method seems to be the most effective in extracting the nutrient principles from the peels. Start by cutting the banana peels into small pieces while bringing a pot of water to the boil; add the banana peels and continue to boil for about 15 minutes; then, turn off the heat and leave to cool; drain and filter, saving the peels to use as mulch; if you want to make the fertilizer richer, you can blend the peels into the liquid;
• The room temperature method: this method is slower than the above, but much simpler and consists of placing the cut up banana peels into a bucket of water, leaving them to macerate (steep) for at least 48 hours; then filter and use the liquid to water your plants.

If you prefer a dry fertilizer, you can dry your banana peels at a low temperature on a baking tray, with the fibrous part facing up, until they turn black; remove from the oven, chop them up and use as mulch for your planters.

Thanks to banana peels, your plants will be healthy and lush!