Making Banana Peel Fertilizer For My Garden
Introduction: An Uncomplicated Thought on a Mild Afternoon
It was one of those warm afternoons in Soshanguve, and the sunshine felt very much like a warm glow on my back and all the activity in the garden was progressing at a very slow, leisurely, and unhurried pace. At that time, I was focused on my vegetables, and the first thought that came to mind was the unnatural pale appearance of the leaves as if they were crying out for something. I was quite certain that they needed a nutrient very badly, however, I was not in the mood for a trip to the store just to get a chemical fertilizer. So, I looked at the bananas that I had eaten earlier that morning and thought, why can't we make a fertilizer out of the peels?
The idea was not terribly complex, but it felt like the kind of natural, homemade solution that naturally fits with my gardening life in Pretoria, the soil, the greens, the sun all feel more alive when I interact with nature.
Even as I was taking the banana peels which we laid out on the table, I could not help to thrill myself. This is the same feeling I have every time I begin taking action towards conducting my gardening experiments, knowing that irrespective of how small my homemade fertilizer might be, it would always be enough to dramatically change plant growth.
Banana Basics: Why I Chose This Fertilizer
Even before I launched into the project, I was trying to figure out why banana peels are such perfect helpers in our gardens. It is a fact that they are very potent in potassium which is a nutrient that not only strengthens the stem but also improves flowering and makes the fruits to look very attractive. This is the case in Soshanguve where the soil is sometimes so hot that it looks tired; therefore, potassium is like a hero who comes quietly but still is very strong.
In every instance of my usage of banana peel water, I always tell myself that the leaves have become greener, the stems have gotten stronger, and the latest growth is healthier. This is a great plus for young seedlings as they are gentle enough but also fruiting plants can benefit as they are strong enough. Since it is natural, there is no need to worry about melting the plants or making the soil angry.
Not being in a rush, I was gradually slicing the peels into smaller pieces, thus the nutrient release would be quicker. The blades were doing their work on the wood in a mild tempo and the aroma of ripe bananas was spreading nice, hot, and comforting.
Preparing the Fertilizer: The Slow Magic Begins
I chopped the banana peels and then I stuffed them into a large plastic container. The pieces looked tender and golden through the clear sides of the tub. I inhaled the fresh garden air and thought about how these scraps something that is thrown away by most people were going to be my plant's food.
Next, I poured water over the peels. The sound of the water hitting the container was pretty soothing, like I was watering the garden instead of the container. The banana pieces were floating on the water, and the water was gradually becoming a light yellow color.
Gradually I incorporated the elements, thinking about all of the vitamins that were coming from the rinds and that were mixed into the water. Potassium, calcium, phosphorus, these are what the spinach, the tomatoes, and yes, the flowers, also need. The amount of power and strength this very simple thing possesses always amazes me.
Following that, waiting was the only option. Making banana peel fertilizer is not a matter of minutes. It has to be given time. So I put a lid on the container and placed it in an appropriate spot that was shaded from the sun, which, if not placed in the shade, would spoil the mixture. Each day, I raised the lid approximately halfway to stir the mixture. While doing this, I could see that the water was darkening and becoming richer.
Watching the Transformation
The concoction gradually changed color to a nice tea like hue over the following days. The bananas became mushy, going deeper into the liquid, and they were releasing nutrients with every hour that passed. There is something very wonderful in the process of turning what is considered waste into a great fertilizer. It seems like the most original recycling nature teaming up with us, not against us.
By the fourth day, the color had changed to an intense dark brown one. The odor was somewhat pungent, but it was not intolerable; simply an indication of the fermentation process underway and that nutrients were being released for my plants.
I gave the mixture a stir that afternoon, then it was amazing to see the bubbles slowly emerging to the surface. It had happened. The dark liquid would be a wonderful treat for my garden, and I wanted to feed it to my plants right away.
How I Utilize It in My Garden
I started out by taking out a portion of the liquid from the jar and mixing it with water. The fertilizer made from banana peels can sometimes stink so bad that I have to dilute it twice until it looks like weak tea. I then got my watering can and watered my garden, using the liquid I had applied to each plant, to water the soil.
I assume this was the first time the spinach leaves got their nutrients from the roots because they looked pretty fresh and healthy. The peppers looked more upright, and the tomatoes looked like they were a little more colorful. In addition, after just a few days, the flowers more particularly the roses and marigolds looked to be a little healthier.
Every time I am using this fertilizer, I keep thinking that gardening should not be a costly habit. There is no need for it to be done with the use of expensive chemicals or by making complicated recipes. By times, the purest and the easiest solutions turn out to be the ones that are already in our kitchens.
Garden Thoughts in Soshanguve
Forming banana peel fertilizer actually brought back to me the fact that gardening is not simply the growing of food but it is an educational process, a continuous experiment, and it is cooperating with the gifts that nature provides.
I keep up the identical pattern every season here in Soshanguve; checking the weather, making the soil fertile, and watching the small changes in my plants. This little experiment, creating liquid gold from banana scraps, is my perfect fit for my quiet garden routines.
Moreover, every time I do it, it feels like a soft promise, to which I return, that the garden will keep on giving as long as I keep loving it.
What to Anticipate from Banana Peel Fertilizer
The changes will still be quite visible but they will happen gradually if this fertilizer is kept as part of your routine. The leaves get more green and stronger. Fruit and flower bearing plants that are E.g. tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and flowers become more attractive to be grown. Seedlings become strong without going through the usual struggle. Roots, likewise, get more vigor and steadiness.
The effects are very quiet at the beginning, but after a week you will be able to tell the difference. The earth becomes more vibrant and the plants accept it with their "thank yous".
Final Thoughts
Making a banana peel fertilizer never crossed my mind to be a comforting weekly ritual. It made me realize again that gardening is such a joy when done slower, with patience and awareness of nature, with quiet steps and small rituals.
Possibly you should think of keeping the peel on your next banana. Save it. Cut it. Immerse it. Let it be the source of its secret power. Your garden will be very happy but not in the way that you expect, it will be with the leaves that sparkle and the plants that become strong, grow steadily and gently.
When I walk through my garden now, I am always very happy and I think to myself that it is quite incredible how something so small and simple could have come to be a part of my life. And in this Soshanguve heat, where the soil dries up very quickly and nutrients are washed away rapidly, this little homemade fertilizer has become my secret weapon, my most treasured secret.
Just in case you are wondering, go ahead and do it. Let your garden have a taste of banana peel tea. You will love it as I did.
