To place banana peels around your roses in the summer may seem a little out of the box, but it has been touted as an easy, organic way to provide potassiumwhich all plants need to strengthen their immune system, helping them to resist disease and grow strong and healthy.
They can also be a great source of calcium, magnesium, phosphates and sulfur, which all plants need to survive.
So, if you are learning how to grow roses, is this method really useful to benefit your flowers?
When to use the banana peel trick
Whatever the type of pink you have chosen to grow, the best time to add banana peel to the soil is in planting.
John Dempsey, gardening expert at Housetastic, advises: «You should place a chopped banana peel in the bottom of the pot before inserting the plant and mix the rest with compost and soil around the new plant.»
You can also place banana peels in the soil around established plants.
Use those dark bits
Dr. Andrew Plasz, US rose expert, is also a fan of using banana peels and keeps them dry throughout the year.
“Dry peels break easily when kneaded by hand,” he says, adding that he stores them in sealed envelopes marked with the date. “When planting, use the oldest bark first.”
Does the method work?
Some experts warn that excess potassium can be harmful to plants, as all nutrients must be carefully balanced when fertilizing. The general advice is do not use more than three banana peels around a single plant at a time.
A spokesperson for rose growers, Peter Beales says he has never heard of the banana peel trick, but believes a similar use of nitrogen-rich coffee beans could be beneficial.
Never get too close to the roots of a coffee-ground rose, as too much nitrogen can be toxic, causing the plant to collapse. The best way to use coffee grounds is to dilute them in water and water carefully.
And you, are you going to save your banana peels in the garden?
*Via Gardening Etc