If you’ve ever tried growing tomatoes, you’ll know that the tasty fruits are hard-earned. Between tomato-hungry pests, struggling stems, and poorly-developed fruit, it can be hard to know what to do with an underperforming plant.
Some hacks include adding aspirin to the tommies’ water to boost their growth and “tapping” the stem to release pollen and “supercharge” the harvest.
But it seems there’s another homegrown tomato tip for gardeners – using a banana can seriously improve the vegetation’s yield and ripen slow-growing fruits sooner.
Here’s how you can use the peel of your fave produce to boost your tomatoes’ growth:
Some methods of banana fertilisation are better than others
There are lots of ways to add banana peel to your garden. For instance, TikToker @FlavCity shared a banana peel and water concoction: “All we have to do is peel three bananas – of course, save the bananas for banana bread – put the peels in a bowl, and then cover them with room-temperature water,” the creator shared.
The theory is that you leave them to soak, remove the skins, and voila – you’ve got some nutrient-rich banana water. However, the plant-friendly potassium (and other good compounds) aren’t released from the peels via water – instead, you need to break down the skins through fungi or microbes (i.e. via composting).
Homes & Gardens’ head of gardens, Beth Murton, shared that slicing the bananas up before composing is best – ” Although it won’t do any harm to simply throw whole banana skins in your compost pile or bin, they will decompose much faster if you chop them into smaller pieces first,” she says.
House Digest adds that “Alternatively, you can add banana peel directly to the earth around your tomato plants. Lay one peel near the base of each plant, ensuring they are not in direct contact with the stems.” If using this method, though, be aware of pests who might smell the fruit and become attracted to its scent.
Either way, the fruit is good for much more than your best banoffee recipes.
Why does it work?
Bananas are good for tomato plants in particular because they contain no nitrogen. “While plants need nitrogen... too much nitrogen will create lots of green leaves but few berries or fruits,” the Cape Gazette reports.
Banana peels are also brimming with potassium, which is excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. “Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes,” the Cape Gazette adds.
They add that the plants’ naturally-high levels of photosynthesis-friendly manganese and chlorophyll-inducing magnesium and sulphur make them even more impressive fertilisers.
Don’t mind me, just off to make some banana pancakes...