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To keep the trees and plants in the garden or balcony of the house green and to make them bloom in abundance, it is considered best to use organic nutrients instead of expensive chemical fertilizers. Among the kitchen waste, banana peels are no less than nectar for plants. Potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium are found in abundance in them, which help in strengthening the roots of the plants and in bringing new buds in them. However, often due to lack of information, people use banana peels incorrectly, due to which the plant starts rotting instead of growing rapidly. According to gardening experts and experienced gardeners, a small mistake can ruin the entire plant.
Gardener’s strict advice: Never put raw peel directly in the pot
As soon as most people eat the banana peel, they place it directly on the soil of the pot or near the stem. The first and most important advice to a gardener is that one should never leave open or wet peel on the surface of the soil. When fresh peel rots in open air and sunlight, fungus, mealybugs and ants start growing rapidly in it. Additionally, its sweet smell attracts rats and other insects which gnaw on the taproots and dry up the plant.
Method of making liquid bio-fertilizer from banana peel
The safest and most effective effect of banana peels is available in the form of ‘Liquid Tea’ i.e. liquid fertilizer. To make this, cut 3 to 4 banana peels into small pieces. Put these pieces in 1 liter water in a glass or plastic jar and close the lid. Keep this jar in a shady place for 3 to 4 days to ferment. When the color of the water becomes light brown or dark, filter it. Mix 2 parts of plain water in this prepared liquid and pour it on the roots of the plants once every 15 days. This is the best source of liquid potassium, which is immediately absorbed by the roots.
Make potassium rich fertilizer powder by drying it in the sun.
If you do not want to make liquid fertilizer, you can make powder of the peels and store them for a long time. Cut the banana peels into thin pieces and dry them in strong sunlight for 4 to 5 days until they become completely black and crunchy. After this, grind them in a mixer and make a fine powder. Dig the soil from the top 1 to 2 inches of the pot and spread 1 teaspoon of this powder all over the soil, mix it well and water it immediately. It works as a slow-release fertilizer and slowly releases nutrients into the soil.
Boon for roses, hibiscus and vegetable plants
Banana fertilizer proves to be most effective especially for flowering plants like Rose, Hibiscus, Mogra, Aparajita and Bougainvillea. Apart from this, by using it in fruit plants like tomato, capsicum and brinjal, the fruits become bigger in size and the problem of premature flower fall is completely eliminated.