Banana is an exotic fruit that has gained wide popularity in all countries of the world, due to its taste and a large number of nutrients in the composition. This edible fruit is used in cooking, medicine, cosmetology, it is used as livestock feed and even added to soap.
But few people know that the peel of a yellow fruit is very useful, because it, like the fruits of plants, contains many substances that can be used in everyday life. Thanks to its composition, the banana peel began to be actively used as fertilizer for both greenhouse and indoor plants.
Content
The chemical composition of banana peels and the benefits of flowers
The chemical composition of the banana peel is quite similar to the composition of its pulp, however, some differences are still present. It is 91% water and organic nutrients, including lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and fiber. The peel also contains minerals, namely potassium, manganese, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and iron, in addition, it contains:
- pectin;
- oxalates;
- saponins;
- hydrogen cyanide;
- tannins.
You may be interested in:The skin of the fruit is used as fertilizer in agricultural technology precisely due to the mineral substances that it contains. After all, a complex of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium is involved in the growth, development and flowering of any plants. Their action is as follows:
- Magnesium is a substance necessary for ornamental crops, especially in the cold season, since it is involved in the formation of chlorophyll and thereby promotes photosynthesis.
- Potassium, in turn, improves the metabolism of nutrients between plant cells, thereby strengthening its stems and making it more resistant to certain diseases. Banana peel is a natural potassium fertilizer for many plants, which acts gently and does not cause burns.
What causes excess and deficiency of potassium in a plant - Phosphorus is also necessary for flowers, since it is an important link in their flowering and fruiting. In addition, this trace element helps to improve the cold resistance of any ornamental plants.
What house plants are suitable for this fertilizer?
Banana peel is actively used to feed all indoor plants. Florists and just lovers of indoor and decorative flowers most often feed with this means:
- Saintpaulia;
- violets;
- roses;
- cyclamen;
- citrus trees;
- avocado;
- begonias;
- a coffee tree.
As a rule, gardeners recommend using fried skin of the fruit or infusion from it for indoor flowers. This precaution is explained by the content in the peel of pesticides and growth stimulants that process the fetus at the time of cut.
It is best to use the fried peel or infusion during the budding period of the flower, since it will ensure its long and lush flowering. It is because of this that it is most often used to feed often flowering crops, such as roses and violets.
Hazards and risks to plants
Despite all its usefulness, banana skins can harm the plant, because they accumulate all the “bad” substances that the fruit was processed during transportation and delivery to the place of sale.
In this regard, it is recommended to use top dressing only for young seedlings. After all, pesticides and growth stimulants are not completely washed out of the skin using ordinary washing. You can remove all harmful substances by frying the peel, grinding it to a powder state and soaking in boiling water.
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You can also protect flowers from unwanted substances by buying the product only from trusted suppliers. Large supermarkets, which usually have a certificate of product compliance with quality standards, will be an excellent option.
Also, fresh skins can not be put on top of the soil, since a large amount of nutrients in their composition will simply lead to moldiness of the soil and death of the root system of the plant. Therefore, the raw material must be put on the bottom of the pot intended for the seedling - until the rhizomes of the flower grow, the skin will have time to rot.
Fruit residues attract small pests in the form of ants and fruit flies, which can attack flowers fed with natural fertilizer.
Banana dressing can be moldy; usually this is due to a lack of nutrients directly in the soil in which the flower grows. In order to avoid moldiness, it is necessary to add nitrogen and humic fertilizers to the soil together with the peel.
No indoor flower can be provided with food exclusively from the skin of the fruit. You should not neglect complex top dressing, otherwise it is unlikely to get a strong and healthy plant.
Recipes and the use of banana peels as fertilizer
The skin of an exotic fruit is a universal fertilizer, it is used both fresh and made from it infusions, complex formulations, as well as dried, frozen and even baked.
Fresh peel
The easiest and fastest way to bring the peel into the soil is to simply cut it into small strips and put it as close as possible to the bottom of the container into which the plant will be planted. However, before this, it is recommended to thoroughly wash the raw materials in warm water with soap and a brush, so the amount of harmful substances on the surface of the skin is significantly reduced.
When introducing a fresh product into the soil, it is worth remembering that this method of fertilizer is the most dangerous for the plant. It is quite difficult to calculate the optimal amount of raw material for a particular type of indoor culture. In addition, harmful microorganisms can get into the pot.
Infusions
Skin infusion is the most convenient and easy way to fertilize, which is most often resorted to. To prepare the infusion, you need to take 1-2 washed skins without tails and place them in a 1.5-liter sterilized jar.
Further, the raw material is poured with boiled water at room temperature up to the neck of the jar, tightly closed and insisted for several days in a dark place. Before using the infusion, it must be filtered and diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1. When choosing this type of fertilizer, it should be remembered that it deteriorates quickly enough and emits an unpleasant odor.
To prepare the infusion, you can use both whole and cut skin. The crushed product infuses faster and gives more nutrients to water than the whole.
Watering such an infusion of flowers is necessary under the root, every 4 weeks. It is enough to use 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of diluted infusion in one pot of 2-3 liters.
Dried peel
You can use the peel as a fertilizer even after it is dried. Thus, it is possible to prepare the required amount of raw materials for future use.
In order to dry the raw material, it is enough to decompose it on a warm battery or bake in the oven. After the skin is dried, it must be crushed and folded in an airtight container or paper bag, and stored until use.
The dried product is usually used for young seedlings, laying 1 tbsp of such fertilizer in the lower soil layer during planting.
Complex formulations
There are also many top dressings using the fruit peel, which are made on the basis of several components at once.
One such complex composition is a mixture of peel powder and egg shells. To prepare this complex fertilizer, you must take:
- Dry banana skins - 4 pcs.
- Egg shell powder - 2 tsp.
- Magnesia - 20 g.
- Water (boiled or distilled) - 1 liter.
Dry skins of the plant must be crushed to a powdery state and mixed with egg shell powder and magnesia. The resulting mixture of ingredients is poured with water and infused for several hours. The resulting complex can be sprayed with leaves or pour it under the root, it is enough processing once every 4 weeks.
You can also prepare a complex fertilizer from the peel of a banana and an orange. To do this, take the crushed fruit skin in a 1: 1 ratio and fill it with a 3-liter jar exactly one-third. After this, add 1 tbsp to the mixture. l of sugar and pour warm water to the top of the container. It is necessary to insist such a fertilizer for 3 weeks, periodically shaking it. You can use this infusion no more than once a month, pouring it under the root of the plant.
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Experienced flower growers, as a rule, respond positively to dressing from a banana skin:
Tatyana: “I have been watering the infusion of banana skins with violets and Saintpaulia for quite some time and I am very pleased with the result. This miracle infusion noticeably facilitates the process of selecting fertilizers for such capricious and whimsical flowers. I water the plants with a solution every 7 days during the bud laying period, and I see how they not only strengthen, but also bloom for a long time and plentifully. ”
Ivan: “For a long time I have been feeding decorative plants exclusively with natural products, and the banana peel is perfect for this. In addition, I really like bananas, so I always have enough raw materials for fertilizer. Due to the presence of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium in the skin, the plants not only bloom very well, but also tolerate winter well, even on the windowsill. ”
Natalya: “Many decorative roses grow in my apartment, which I periodically feed with infusion of banana skins. Thanks to this infusion, the lush and long flowering of my roses, all friends and acquaintances envy. I recommend using the peel of bananas as a fertilizer for the whole gardener, especially for flowering plants. ”
Common questions
Despite the fact that the peel of a banana is a natural fertilizer, inexperienced gardeners often have questions about how to properly use the raw materials for feeding and whether such fertilizer can harm the flower:
Banana peel is an excellent potash fertilizer for all ornamental crops, which provides lush flowering and helps the plant survive the lack of heat and light in the winter.
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