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Stop throwing away banana peels. Here are 8 effective ways to use them in the garden

You know all those banana peels you’ve been throwing away? Well, there are actually useful ways to reuse those soft shells – and no, we don’t mean tripping up your friends’ comic book style.
If you live in a banana household, you’ll probably throw away a dozen of these every two weeks. Stop the waste and start using those peels to help improve the health and nutrients in your garden. It’s easy, free, and you do it year-round, whether it’s for your vegetable garden or your houseplants.

  1. Banana Tea
    No, you’re not going to drink this stuff. Instead, you’re going to stick a peel in a jar filled with water for a couple of days, then pour it over your plants. The nutrients in this tea will invigorate your plants and give them an extra boost.
  2. Plant them directly in your garden
    Use fresh peels or even the peels from your banana peel tea above for this one. Simply cut the peel into 1/4 inch pieces and place them under your plants before planting (make sure to stick them low enough so they don’t get in the way of the roots), or just below the plant. surface.
    By cutting the skin off, you start the decomposition process – and as this plant breaks down, it will release awesome vitamins and nutrients for your new plants.
  3. Mix banana peels into the compost
    People don’t like to throw away food. Banana peels often spark the idea of a compost pile. Start with your banana peels, then add all your trash to create an extremely rich compost.
  4. Dry and grind for fertilizer
    Dry your peels, put them on the ground, and sprinkle this nutrient-rich powder on the soil before planting for an extra boost. Frugal Chicken has a great tutorial on drying peels.
  5. Just plant the whole skin
    This is probably the most obvious option, and it works well. Dig a trench 4 inches or more deep. Lay your peel flat, fill it with a little soil, and plant your seeds. As your plant’s roots grow and the skin breaks down, they will have access to wonderful food.
  6. Spray fertilizer
    This is pretty much a banana peel spray, but with an extra kick. Mix crushed eggshells for extra calcium and Epsom salt for magnesium in a spray bottle. Use it to give your garden and established houseplants a vitamin boost.
  1. Insect Trap
    Want to keep annoying bugs out of your garden or patio? Soak a cut banana peel with cider vinegar and place it in a plastic container with holes large enough to let an insect through. The smell will attract them and the solution will trap them. This is a great non-toxic option for your garden and pets.
  2. banana vinegar
    You won’t want to drink this, but your soil-loving plants, like blueberries, will love it.
    Frugal Chicken explains that you should ferment your bananas in water (see full instructions here), then use the fermented water in your plants. Let the fermented water sit for four to six weeks to create its own vinegar. This will give your acid-loving plants a big boost.
    Want to know something else? Banana peels are good for the house too:
  • Use banana peel to cure a wart; may take just one to two weeks
  • Rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth to whiten them
  • Rub the inside of a banana peel on shoes as a shoe polish
  • Use the inside of a peel to heal a bruise
  • Banana peels can help heal acne if you rub them on a spot

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