The Advantages of Using Liquid Banana Peel Fertilizer
Banana peels are excellent for composting or cutting up and placing directly into soil. However, creating a liquid fertilizer out of banana peels adds some additional useful benefits. Let’s look at why banana peels are such an integral component of an organic fertilizing system as well as how you can make the most of this natural source of nutrients.
Why Banana Peels are so Special
Most garden vegetables and plants need three main nutrients to promote growth and health. These are potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. Soil that is rich in these compounds tends to be more productive and produce heartier crops. Most fertilizer products on the market are high in nitrogen and phosphorous, but they also include a lot of other ingredients that are harmful to the environment, can contaminate ground water supplies and cause injury to humans and pets if exposure in large doses occurs. This is why organic alternatives are so important, especially in a homesteading or self-sufficiency environment.
Banana peels contain some of the highest concentrations of potassium, more than 40%, that you can find in most compost items. They are also high in calcium, manganese, magnesium, sulfur and sodium. Sodium helps plants to exchange water at the cellular level, magnesium and sulfur help to produce chlorophyll, the most beneficial part of plants and essential to the process of photosynthesis. Calcium is essential for helping plants absorb nitrogen which is an essential nutrient for most garden vegetables.
However, banana peels do not contain nitrogen themselves, which makes them the ideal fertilizer for garden plants that do not need a lot of nitrogen. Tomatoes and most peppers are good examples of plants that thrive in low-nitrogen levels. So, it’s a good idea to keep these plants separate from other sections of the garden and allow the banana peel fertilizer prevent nitrogen overload while contributing to the uptake of nitrogen in other areas as the same time.
Why Liquid
One of the biggest benefits to making a liquid fertilizer out of banana peels is that you don’t need to bury the peels into the ground. You also don’t have to wait for the compost pile to decompose before mixing it into your soil. While banana peels decompose quickly and can provide your soil with a steady supply of nutrients, they also attract a lot of pests. The liquid is refined to the point to minimize this potential problem. The liquid can also be applied directly to specific plants and adjusted as necessary. Finally, liquid can help to conserve water while allowing you to get an extra benefit from the banana peel before tossing it into the compost bin.
Making the Fertilizer
Preparing the fertilizer is incredibly simple. All you need to do is place one complete peel into a quart mason jar, or five peels into a gallon container. Fill both with filtered water, cover and allow them to soak in sunlight for at least a week. You will notice the banana peel start to decompose and release particles and nutrients into the water. Once the week has passed, simply separate the water from the peel and pour or sprinkle it over your plants. Discard the peel in your compost pile and repeat as necessary.
Since you’re not overloading your plants with nitrogen, you can apply this fertilizer frequently. This means that you don’t need to water the plants as much, which can help you to conserve resources for other areas of your garden.
Try this out for yourself, and do some research to see which plants will benefit the most from this option. Once you establish the proper application schedule, you should see an improvement in the growth rate as well as the overall health of various garden crops. You will also still be able to use the banana peels in your compost bin. Finally, this will encourage you and your family to eat more bananas, which is important for your own potassium needs. Remember that potassium is essential for heart health as well as the transport of water through your cells as well. This is a win-win opportunity all around, and nothing could be easier.
