Fruit Peels for the Garden

Fresh fruit -- good for me, and for my garden
 

Every morning I eat a banana.  Then I take my garden shears and the banana peel outside, and stroll around, chopping the peel into small pieces and dropping them into the flower beds and around rose bushes. The small pieces are not noticeable, and can then begin to slowly break down into the soil to feed the flowers.  Bananas are rich in both potassium and phosphorus, which can help your plants grow and bloom better.   Banana peels encourage earthworms, which adds yet more fertilizer.

I could also put the chopped peels into the compost bin, or the worm bin, but I enjoy this relaxed moment among the flowers.

I have read about cutting banana peels into two inch strips, and freezing them. (Start freezing in a single layer on a baking sheet, so they don't freeze into a solid lump.)  When it's time to feed your plants, simply push the frozen strips of banana peel into the soil around your plant just as you would store-bought plant food spikes.  Potassium and phosporus, with no unwanted chemicals! I plan to try this.

Some people run bananas or banana peels through the blender to create a tonic for their plants.  A banana that is getting past the point of eating can be chopped up, minus the hard tip ends, into the blender.  Add enough water to cover the banana pieces, and puree them.  Pour this mixture into a gallon container and add enough water to fill.  Pour this mixture around your roses or other flowers.

Orange peels I tear up into small pieces to compost, but these would not be particularly welcome in the worm bin. I toss these peels around the catmint plants and scatter them through the vegetable garden, to discourage the neighborhood cats from digging or using garden beds as a litter box.  

Orange peels contain a natural chemical, d-Limonene, that destroys the waxy coating on insects such as ants and aphids, killing them.  Some gardeners place pieces of orange peel around plants affected by aphids to keep the pests away. Others break up the peels from two or three citrus fruits and run them through the blender with a cup of warm water to pour onto anthills that are causing them problems.

I like finding ways to use things I have on hand to solve problems rather than running out to buy yet another commercial product. Avoiding exposure to strong chemicals is best for those dealing with allergies. I hope that others will share ideas they have found useful.