This homemade fertiliser’s main ingredient is a kitchen scrap that can be placed directly in the soil or made into a tea-like solution and would otherwise be thrown in the rubbish
Hydrangeas are adored by gardening enthusiasts for their spectacular, voluminous blooms, but achieving the fullest and healthiest flowers can often come down to feeding them the right fertiliser at the right time.
With a great many gardeners seeking an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to improve their blossoms, there is one homemade fertiliser has become a popular and practical pick.
Potassium is a crucial element for hydrangeas and all flowering plants. Therefore an expert from WMDesignHouse is championing the use of banana peel fertiliser as a simple and affordable way to “give your flowers a boost of nutrients without breaking the bank”.
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Gardening expert Wendy said: “Banana peels provide a natural boost of much-needed potassium. Potassium is crucial for overall plant health, helping regulate water uptake, promoting strong root development, and enhancing flower and fruit production.
“Because banana peels decompose relatively slowly, they are an excellent source of long-term plant nutrition.”
According to Wendy, not only does banana fertiliser support the health and vigour of hydrangeas, it can also deter pests such as spider mites and aphids, which are often repelled by the scent of the decomposing banana peels.
The ideal time to feed hydrangeas is in the spring, just before they begin to set buds for their summer blooms. At this stage, providing a potassium-rich supplement can help plants channel their energy into producing larger and more abundant flowers.
Wendy’s method for making banana peel fertiliser is incredibly straightforward: collect a few banana peels, preferably ripe ones, and cut them up into small pieces to accelerate decomposition, before placing them around the base of the plants and covering them with soil. As they break down over time, the peels release a slow and steady supply of potassium to your flowers.
She also recommends making banana peel tea for feeding flowering plants. This recipe requires a few simple ingredients: a jar with a lid, banana peels and water. Once again, chop the peels into small pieces, then place them in the jar and ensure they are completely submerged in the water, then leave for three-to-seven days.
After the steeping process, the banana peel tea can be diluted with water — usually one part banana peel tea to five parts water — and used to water your hydrangeas.
This homemade fertiliser is praised for its simplicity and the fact that it repurposes kitchen scraps, meaning it’s both eco-friendly and economical. Making banana peel fertiliser is essentially free if you already the bananas, as the main ingredient, the fruit’s peels, are kitchen scraps that would otherwise be thrown away. And making the banana peel tea only requires an additional jar and water, both of which can typically be acquired at no additional cost.
However, it is important to note that banana peel water should be used as a supplement rather than a replacement for a balanced, slow-release fertiliser, especially for heavy feeders like hydrangeas.