6 days Ago By Angela Patrone
Peace lilies and orchids are often favoured for being relatively low-maintenance as houseplants , with the ability to grow even with minimal care. Yet, without proper attention, both indoor plants may survive, but won’t flourish or bloom as they could. To help these houseplants blossom, fertiliser is recommended; however, the more green-fingered among us have claimed that not all nourishment needs to come from store-bought fertilisers.
It’s been suggested within the gardening community that common kitchen scraps, particularly banana peels , can provide essential nutrients to plants. One individual keen to find out if this works, Jean Kennedy, posted a query on the Facebook group Gardening Hints and Tips. She asked: “I have learnt that banana water is good for my peace lily, but is it also good for my orchids and other plants?” Reactions in the comments were mixed, revealing a divide amongst garden enthusiasts.
Several advocated for the use of banana peels as an effective natural fertiliser, while others maintained the importance of using specialised products. Members like Jill Christie have had positive experiences, saying: “My peace lily and orchid did very well on banana water this spring and a few other indoor plants.” While Audrey Acey claimed: “My son uses it all the time on my orchids and peace lilies, and they flower for months on end all year round.
” Jaci Geal mentioned her own success story: “I started using banana skins soaked in water on our plants, and as others have said, they just keep flowering.” Lieka Benckendorff echoed the sentiment: “Banana peels are fantastic as they promote flowers in any flowering plants.” Debbie Newman countered: “A good watering regime with a hint of banana is good, but I’m sorry to say that water with a hint of banana will not replace a good fertiliser.
” Using banana peels as fertiliser is believed to be beneficial for indoor and outdoor plants such as roses and hydrangeas due to their high nutrient content, promoting healthy growth. Typically, people soak banana peels in a jar of water for at least seven days to create this liquid feed. After removing the peels, dilute the mixture to reduce its acidity, then use it as a spray around the base of the plants.
You can also steep the peels for up to a month to create a more acidic solution, suitable for plants that thrive in acidic conditions. The banana-infused water serves as a liquid fertiliser or compost tea and has pesticide properties, helping to deter pests like aphids..
