If you are a gardener and if you don’t know how to make banana water for plants, then keep reading. It is always tricky to watch your green babies become yellow and stop growing any further. The soil is dry and does not contain all the nutrients to let it thrive and that is why banana water for plants can be very helpful in watering your plants at home or in a greenhouses.
How to make banana water plant fertilizer is a matter of mixing nutrient-rich bananas with other ingredients to create a homemade all-natural fertilizer for your plants. Banana peels, and their juice, are rich in potassium nitrate, which is the primary ingredient used to make gunpowder. Nitrate is also an ideal food source for plants. You can use banana water to directly feed your plants — or,
you can brew it into tea and then use the tea as fertilizer. The benefits of bananas are numerous and varied. This is due to a number of nutrients that bananas contain. Bananas are a widely consumed fruit around the world. They are also commonly recognized for their many health benefits. This article will feature 5 of the best health benefits of banana which contribute greatly to your overall well-being.
How To Make Banana Water For Plants
Do you have a plant at home? If yes, then it would be great if you could read this article to know how to make banana water for plants. People living in tropical countries, especially the Philippines and other parts of Asia, are aware of a fruit like this that has very good benefits for plants. The bananas we eat can also be used to create a liquid fertilizer for our plant needs.This is not a banana beverage, but something much better.
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the United States. But after eating the banana, you’re left with the banana peel which, unless it is composted, it ends up in the household garbage and eventually in a landfill. Some ideas about re-purposing banana peels have surfaced and one of these ideas includes making banana water from the peels for use as a plant fertilizer. While the intention is laudable, it is a questionable gardening practice. Not only are the benefits not supported by science and research, banana water can actually harm your plants.
Here’s what we’ve learned about banana water including why it can do more harm than good, along with some tips about composting banana peels.
What Is Banana Water?
Banana water is similar to compost tea but it comes only from one source, cut up banana peels. The peels are immersed in water and steeped for anywhere from one hour up to a few days. Soaking time varies according to different recipe sources. Some instructions even tell you to keep a pitcher with banana water in your fridge and add more banana peels over several weeks. After the recommended amount of time, the liquid is then strained and added to plants as a fertilizer.
Suggestions include using banana water both for house plants and outdoor plants. Some instructions include aeration to prevent the peels from fermenting. But is banana water good for plants? Here is what we found out.
Is Banana Water Good for Plants?
Bananas are touted for being rich in potassium even though their potassium content is not particularly high. Other fruits and vegetables such as kiwis, acorn squash, and avocados are richer in potassium. One of the three macronutrients crucial for plant growth and reproduction, potassium (K) is also referred to as the nutrient that ensures plant quality. Potassium in plants improves resistance to drought or excess water, extreme temperature fluctuations, pests, diseases, and nematodes.1
The main problem with banana water is that soaking the peels does not extract potassium to make it available to the plants. Plants can only absorb nutrients that have been broken down by microbes and fungi. Like most raw materials, banana peels should be composted because the process of decomposition is a necessary step for release of the beneficial nutrients. Water, by itself, is insufficient for releasing the potassium.2
How Banana Water Can Harm Plants
Adding banana water to your plants may actually backfire.
Most plants need a balanced fertilizer that supplies the macronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you fertilize your plants with just banana water, they might get a tiny amount of potassium at best, but none of the other nutrients.
Banana water can also attract insects such as gnats and vinegar flies (fruit flies).
Also keep in mind that conventional banana farming is pesticide-intensive.3 One of the insecticides widely used in production is the neurotoxicant chlorpyrifos.4 The peel prevents it from getting into the edible part of the banana, which is why bananas are not listed by consumer watch groups as a pesticide contaminated food.5 Using banana water made from peels that have absorbed pesticide means you may be introducing those contaminants into your plants, causing an undesirable result, especially when used with edible plants and herbs.
Alternative Fertilizer Choices
Instead of taking your chances with banana water, it is best to use a commercial organic fertilizer that lists exactly which nutrients you are adding to your plants. Organic fertilizers are marked with a label from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), which makes them easy to identify.
You can also compost banana peels although they can take up to a year to break down into usable compost.
Please Don’t Make Banana Peel Compost Tea Fertilizer For Houseplants
Always on the hunt to reduce food waste, I saw a bunch of people share about banana peel compost tea (or liquid fertilizer) on social media. Intrigued by this little food waste reduction experiment, I tried it, and I will never do it again. Read on for more about my disappointing experience with this trendy soil amendment and why I think there are so many better alternatives.
A few months ago, we bought this Vitamix blender and have been eating lots of smoothies for breakfast. This mango and banana green smoothie is my favorite, and I make some version of it nearly every morning. As a result, we have an excessive number of banana peels piling up in our compost bucket.
I know they will go to good use in my compost pile, but I have a growing collection of indoor houseplants that I wanted to feed too. Enter banana peel compost tea fertilizer (a liquid soil amendment). If banana peels make a compost bin happy, surely they would make soil happy, right?
Nope! Stop right there. Please skip the banana peel compost tea fertilizer (at least the simplified version that’s popular on social media). Let me explain.
Banana Peel Compost Tea Experiment Planning
A couple of months ago, with plenty of banana peels at my disposal, I decided to try making banana peel tea fertilizer for some of the plants in my house. It was popular on social media, after all, so why not try it? (Note to self: social media popularity alone is not a good reason to try something new…)
I’m a houseplant newbie. I dove headfirst into houseplant territory just about a year ago with my Succulent Studios subscription and have been steadily adding to my indoor garden. But I’m far from an expert on the deep science of soil, so a bit of due diligence was in order.
I did a little research to ensure I would not burn the roots of my plants or cause other damage with my banana peel fertilizer experiment. Admittedly, I didn’t dig that deep into the archives of the internet, but I didn’t see any immediate red flags. Planning complete.
What did I have to lose besides a couple of small houseplants that became my experimental ground?
How To Make Banana Compost Tea Fertilizer
After cutting up a few brown bananas to put in the freezer for smoothies, I chopped up the peels and shoved them into repurposed glass jars. I have (probably) too many repurposed glass jars, so I made a few batches of this supposedly miraculous liquid fertilizer and perfected my patience.
The trendy banana peel compost tea fertilizer is a cinch to make (which is probably why it’s so popular on social media). The bright yellow peels pop on a pretty Instagram feed too! It all just makes social media sense. I’ve included the simple recipe at the bottom of the post, but it goes like this:
Ingredients + Materials
- 3-4 banana peels
- Quart-sized jar – we use repurposed pasta jars
- Water – to fill the jar
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add chopped banana peels to the jar.
- Fill the jar to the top with water, enough to cover the banana peels.
- Close the jar and allow it to rest for a few days or a week.
- Remove the peels and water plants with the banana peel tea fertilizer.
- Watch magic happen!
Because I got carried away with life, I let it sit for a couple of weeks in the jar. Then I watered a few of my houseplants with the fancy water and waited.
Using Banana Peel Water for Plants: The Benefits Explained
Banana peel water is a nutritional kitchen byproduct that can be used to fertilize plants because the minerals it contains are essential for plant growth and development.
Minerals and nutrients, when extracted from banana peels can be used to fertilize plants. Banana peel water supplies plants with a substantial amount of potassium (K), a macronutrient that is used to develop immunity to environmental stress and pests while at the same time, promoting healthy plant growth.
Bananas are a very common fruit in the kitchen. The peels can provide our plants with vital nutrients apart from potassium, which it is known for.
This article explains everything the banana peel has to offer as well as the different methods you can use to effectively extract and add the nutrients to plants.
The Benefits of Using Banana Peel Water on Plants
What is Banana Peel Water?
Banana peel water is nutrient-rich water obtained from boiling banana peels. It provides the plant with an organic source of nutrients that promotes plant growth while preventing deficiencies associated with low potassium which includes brown scorching and curling of leaf tips.
Banana is a good source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, and potassium.
The mineral nutrients within the banana peels are leached into the water during the boiling process. The high temperature of the boiling water breaks down the fibers of the peel which allows the potassium and manganese to easily move into the water.
Boiling usually takes between 30 to 45 minutes to give enough time for the mineral leaching to occur. The water is then obtained from straining the banana peels and allowed to cool.
It is important to note that not all the minerals are removed from boiling and the peels themselves still have a good amount of minerals within them.
The peels can still be dried off and reused on plants as an additional source of slow-release minerals which we will discuss further in this article.
Applying banana peel water to your plants can also be effectively be done by using the bottom watering method.
Health Benefits Of Banana
Bananas are great for you health. Here are the best and health benefits of banana Bananas are a rich source of vitamin B6, manganese and potassium which is the reason why bananas help to balance blood pressure and respiratory function. Since most bananas are grown in Northern Africa (which includes countries like Cameroon, Ghana, and Gabon etc), bananas from these regions can provide natural protection against inflammation as well.
Bananas are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and simple sugar. They contain no fat. Bananas are a rich source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, fibres, magnesium, potassium and carbohydrates.
1: May improve digestion:
Banana is rich in soluble and insoluble fibres that play an essential role in digestive health. Soluble fibres help to control blood sugar levels and may reduce cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibres may soften your stool and regulate intestinal movements.
Banana deals with your hyperacidity symptoms by protecting the stomach lining from ulcers. It also helps to guard the stomach against unfriendly bacteria that are responsible for causing gastrointestinal disturbances.
2: Helps to improve heart health:
Banana is essential for your heart health. It is rich in potassium, minerals, and electrolytes that help to maintain your heart health. Banana has high potassium and low sodium content. Hence, it may also help to protect your cardiovascular system against high blood pressure.
A medium-sized banana will provide around 320-400 mg of potassium, which meets about 10% of your daily potassium needs.
3: Helps to build lean muscles:
If you feel recurrent soreness of muscles after a workout, you may lack magnesium in your body. A magnesium-rich banana may help with muscle contraction and relaxation that increase lean muscle mass.
4: Supports bone health:
Though bananas are not high in calcium, they can help to maintain your bone health. How? Banana contains a prebiotic named- Fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides help to enhance the ability of the body to absorb calcium. Hence, this prebiotic may help to improve the bone health of your body.
5: Helps muscles to recover after exercise:
Banana is rich in potassium which helps to recover your muscles after a workout. Consuming bananas after exercise may help to strengthen your muscles and it allows you to work out more.
6: Helps to reduce bloating:
Bloating makes you feel uneasy. Banana may help you in this situation, fight back against gas and water retention. It might increase the bloat-fighting bacteria in the stomach. Also, it might help to diminish the retained fluid in the body as it is rich in potassium.
7: Helps to make you feel fuller
Unripe bananas make you feel fuller for a longer time. It is rich in a specific starch called resistant starch. This starch helps to resist the digestion process. It helps to suppress your hunger and make you feel fuller. Since the raw bananas are bitter, you can make a smoothie with other fruits and vegetables.
8: May improve kidney health:
Banana is rich in potassium which helps to keep your kidneys healthy and clean. Some studies suggest that those who eat bananas 4–6 times a week are almost 50% less likely to develop kidney disease than those who don’t eat this fruit.
9: Helps to fight against anaemia
Due to the high folate content in the bananas, they are healthy for those suffering from anaemia. Anaemia-induced fatigue and paleness may reduce by the daily consumption of bananas.
10: May help with a hangover
A hangover is the worst thing after a rocking party. Banana may help you in this condition. Consuming a banana smoothie made of milk/curd or banana with some milk and a few strawberries may help to provide relief from the hangover.
11: Supports eye health:
Banana is rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, lutein and antioxidants that help keep your vision healthy. Lutein is a nutrient that may help to reduce the risk for macular degeneration.
12: May help to whiten the teeth:
Banana peel is very beneficial to whiten teeth. Gently rubbing the inside part of the banana peel for about 2 minutes will give the desired effect of white and bright teeth.
13. Pectin in Bananas may help detoxify the body:
Bananas are rich in pectin. Research has shown that pectin can limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb. Pectin can also help regulate blood sugar levels.
14. Bananas may help the body burn fat:
Bananas contain 12 mg of choline. Choline is a fat-blasting B vitamin that acts directly on the genes that cause fat storage in the abdomen. This compound in bananas helps the body to burn fat easily with exercise.
15. Bananas may help keep diseases at bay:
Bananas are rich in three different types of carotenoids, namely beta-carotene, provitamin A carotenoids and alpha-carotene. Our body has the ability to convert these to Vitamin A. According to studies, foods containing high levels of carotenoids have been shown to protect against chronic diseases like diabetes, certain cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
16. Supports gut health
Bananas have a soothing effect on the gut thanks to their high content of pectin, a soluble fibre which not only helps lower cholesterol but normalises bowel function. The high fibre content of bananas helps to promote feelings of fullness and appears to reduce bloating.
The resistant starch in bananas also has a prebiotic effect, helping to fuel the gut bacteria so they both increase in number and produce beneficial compounds called short chain fatty acids.
17. May support heart health
Bananas are loaded with valuable micronutrients, especially potassium, which is one of the most important electrolytes in the body. Potassium helps to regulate heart function as well as fluid balance which is a key factor in managing blood pressure. The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as bananas, in lowering blood pressure and protecting against heart disease and strokes is well accepted and bolstered by considerable scientific evidence.
18. May help in the management of heartburn
Unripe bananas help to neutralise stomach acid and a plant compound they contain, leucocyanidin, appears to promote the thickness of the mucous membrane of the stomach. This means bananas, as long as they are under ripe, may be a useful dietary addition for those with heartburn.
19. Are an energy booster
Since they have a low water content, bananas typically have more calories as well as a higher sugar content compared to other fruits. They contain sugar in the form of sucrose, fructose and glucose in combination with fibre, this allows them to supply an instant yet sustained boost of energy. Being rich in potassium they support muscle contraction during exercise and may reduce the risk of cramping. As such bananas make a valuable inclusion both before and during a prolonged form of intensive exercise.
20. May support mood
Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid which the body converts to the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. This brain chemical is known to help relaxation, improve mood, lessen anxiety and generally makes you feel happier. However, it is very difficult to raise blood levels of tryptophan through diet alone, and although animal studies suggest a possible link between the consumption of banana and improvements in anxiety and depression it is likely to be more to do with the banana’s antioxidant content rather than their tryptophan contribution.
Are bananas safe for everyone?
Bananas are not suitable for everyone, for example, they may trigger migraine in people who are susceptible to them.
Bananas may initiate an allergic reaction in some people. Allergy symptoms normally develop within minutes, and you should see your GP if you experience an adverse reaction. However, if this develops into a severe reaction, known as anaphylaxis, it is a medical emergency and you should call for an ambulance immediately.