Roses often require a little assistance to flourish, and while there are numerous commercial fertilizers available, gardeners can save money and make their own. In recent years, gardening enthusiasts have extolled the virtues of banana peels for roses, claiming they yield impressive results.
Adding banana peels to the soil surrounding your roses this spring and summer may seem unconventional, but it provides an easy and organic way to replenish potassium, an essential nutrient for all plants to boost their immune systems, resist diseases, and flourish. Banana peels also abound with calcium, magnesium, phosphates, and sulfur, all of which are vital for plant survival.
The process of utilizing banana peels to enhance roses is straightforward. Shirley Brassell inquired on the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page: “Can someone enlighten me on how to utilize banana peels around my roses? Is it necessary for them to be rotten?”
Gardeners eagerly shared their experiences using banana peels, with some applying them directly to the plants and others soaking them in water. Michaels Reed suggested: “Fill a quart jar with banana peels, add water, and seal the jar. Allow it to sit for about a week before pouring the liquid around your roses. This liquid is beneficial for all your flowers.” Gwen Bray shared: “I fill a sun tea jar with peels. I place it on my counter in a sunny window. When it’s full of peels, I water my roses, hydrangeas, and tomato plants with it. They’ve never been so robust and healthy!” Jenny Anne Ritchie exclaimed: “Bananas are fantastic for roses; ours have grown exponentially better since we buried the chopped skins around them. They’re also beneficial for tomato plants and hydrangeas.”
A gardener claimed they have cultivated exceptionally better roses since incorporating banana peels. Muriel Warwick stated: “I cut the banana peels with scissors before adding them to the soil. I have never had roses like it since I started doing this.” Patricia Davis shared her technique: “I chop them up, pour boiling water over them, let it sit for a while, and scatter the pieces around the plant. It adds potassium to the roses. Some people boil the skins first, while others only use the liquid.” Joyce Hart shared her experience: “Let banana peels rest in tap water for three days. Use the water for plants. Avoid letting your banana skins rot. Since implementing this, my roses have bloomed profusely. I’ve even started using it on my hydrangeas.”
Clive Harris, an avid gardener from Essex, shared his insights on how and why to use banana peels in your garden with garden retailer Thompson & Morgan. He explained: “Banana peels are an excellent source of potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, making them an ideal fertilizer. You can add chopped peels directly to your garden for a nutritional boost.
Soaking banana peels in water for at least 48 hours will yield a fertilizing solution that can be sprayed directly onto plants and flowers. To give your perennials the ultimate head start in life, line your bed trenches with whole banana skins before planting. This technique is especially effective for roses.”
