Is Banana Peel Fertilizer Good For Aloe Vera | 5 Things To Know

Do you know that banana peels are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium?

So, is banana peel fertilizer good for aloe vera? Let’s find out.

(It is).

But before moving ahead, let me quickly introduce this fantastic organic fertilizer to you.

What is Banana Peel Fertilizer?

As the name suggests, the banana peel fertilizer is made from leftover banana peels.

This fertilizer is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as potassium. Now, here’s something interesting.

You can produce banana peel water by cutting the leftover peel into small pieces. Then, you can store them in water.

Apart, the chopped peels can be added to compost as well. Here’s why this is important.

The banana peels have a good NPK ratio (percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) for aloe vera. These macronutrients are essential for the growth of any plant.

So, here’s the summary.

This organic fertilizer is made from banana peels and is a source of vital plant nutrients.

Now that you know this, let’s move on to the next topic.

Is Banana Peel Fertilizer Good For Aloe Vera?

Yes! This organic option is excellent for aloe vera.

Overview: The banana peel fertilizer is great for aloe vera. The high potassium content strengthens the stems and improves immunity. The powdered banana peel acts as a slow-release fertilizer. Moreover, banana peels add important nutrients to your compost mix. However, the banana peel liquid fertilizer has some drawbacks as well.

Let me explain this in detail.

It is rich in potassium.

If I talk about aloe vera, they require little fertilizing.

You should only know that potted plants need more frequent applications. We will talk about this in detail. But for now, here’s why potassium is important for aloe vera.

Dried banana peels have an NPK ratio of 0.6-0.4-11.5. This NPK ratio becomes one-fifth (1/5) in wet banana skins.

So, wet (fresh) banana peels have an NPK ratio of 0.1-0.1-2.3. Now you might be wondering, what are NPK values?

NPK values show the percentage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in a fertilizer. So, the dried banana peels contain:

• Nitrogen (N): 0.6%

• Phosphorus (P): 0.4%

• Potassium (K): 11.5%

This potassium is responsible for water and nutrient transportation in the aloe vera plant.

Now, here’s something interesting.

Aloe vera cannot tolerate frost. So, potassium plays a vital role in improving its immunity to weather changes and diseases.

This is because potassium strengthens the stems of the plant.

Note: The percentage of nitrogen is low in the banana peel fertilizer. This is suitable for succulents such as aloe vera.

This takes us straight to the next point.

Slow-release fertilizer.

If I talk about powdered banana peel, it acts as a slow-release fertilizer.

As the name suggests, it releases nutrients over a course of time. This is great for aloe vera as they are not heavy feeders.

Plus, it increases soil microbes throughout the growing season. As I mentioned earlier, microbes improve soil structure.

Well, what does this mean?

This simply means that the banana peel fertilizer does not need frequent applications. It is a perfect long-term fertilizer as it slowly breaks down throughout the season.

With this, let’s move on straight to the next point.

It is compostable.

Here’s a fact.

Banana peels add important nutrients and organic material to your compost mix. These include calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and sodium.

The best part?

Banana peels break down quickly in compost. Great, isn’t it?

Now the question is, how to compost banana peels? Here’s everything you need to know.

1. First of all, you have to set up the compost pile or bin.

Over here, the key is to select an isolated or remote corner. When you are done, move on to the next step.

2. Collect organic materials such as faded flowers, fallen leaves, and wood shavings.

This is because we need a mix of brown and green organic materials in the bin.

The materials rich in protein and nitrogen are known as “green”. These include fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, and manure.

“Brown” materials are rich in carbon. These include twigs, wood chips, and straws.

This takes us straight to the next step.

3. Now, use a kitchen knife to cut the banana peels.

You should know that smaller pieces will speed up the composting process. Now, add these banana peels to the compost pile.

After this, you have to arrange the compost pile into alternating layers of green and brown materials.

4. Add water to the pile to make it compost properly.

You must keep adding organic materials, such as eggshells, to the pile along with brown and green materials.

5. You have to stir the compost pile at least once every couple of days

You should use a pitchfork due to the heat. It would be best if you kept stirring the pile to maintain the moisture and temperature until the compost is completely broken down.

When the composting process is complete, you can use the compost in the garden.

I have a question for you. Why is banana peel compost important for aloe vera?

Well-prepared compost does not attract insects and is less prone to fungal attacks. Moreover, the need for nitrogen is also fulfilled.

With this, let’s move on to the next point.

Source of micronutrients:

Although the nutrient requirement for aloe vera is low, it requires some micronutrients to thrive.

These include:

• Calcium
• Sodium
• Sulfur
• Manganese

If I talk about calcium, it allows aloe vera to grow better.

This is because calcium contributes to the building of cell walls in plants. In the same way, other micronutrients are responsible for vital functions such as protein synthesis.

This takes us straight to the next point.

Vegan Gardening:

The banana peel fertilizer is popular for gardeners who avoid animal-derived or chemical fertilizers.

As you already know, chemical fertilizers have a lot of disadvantages.

This is where the concept of vegan gardening comes – To protect the environment while producing crops.

Related:

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How to make banana peel fertilizer?

Now when you have decided to use the banana peel fertilizer for aloe vera, it is time to make it.

There are two methods to make this fertilizer:

• Dried banana peel powder

• Banana peel liquid fertilizer

Let’s talk about both of them in detail.

Dried Banana Peel Powder (recommended):

This method is fast and effective.

I recommend this method as drying (in this process) preserves nutrients. Plus, the chance of any fungal attack is also low.

Here’s a step-by-step guide.

1. First of all, you have to collect the banana peels.

For this method, overripe banana peels are preferred. When you are done, move on to the next step.

2. Now, cut the banana peels into pieces.

After this, lay them out on a tray. Place this tray under direct sunlight and let these banana peels dry.

You may have to wait 1-2 days (depending on the temperature). The idea is to wait till all the banana peels become crisp and black.

If they are not crispy, there’s still moisture left in them.

3. Now, you must use a mortar and pestle to crush these dried banana peels.

Then, store this powder in an airtight container. Now, let me share some advantages and disadvantages of this method.

This takes us straight to the next method.

Banana Peel Liquid Fertilizer:

To make the liquid banana peel fertilizer, you will need:

• Banana peels

• One-quart mason jar

• Mason jar lid

• Distilled water

So, here’s what you will do.

1. First of all, add banana peels to the jar.

You should add as many banana peels as possible. You can also cut these banana peels into pieces.

2. Now, fill the jar with water.

You should ensure that the water level is above the banana peels. Now, put a lid on it.

3. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 weeks.

After that, remove the banana peels. Now, dilute this fertilizer with water in a 1:5 ratio (1 part banana tea to 5 parts water). With this, you have prepared the fertilizer.

However, there are some MAJOR drawbacks to this method. Let me explain.

The Drawbacks:

This liquid contains a high concentration of dissolved sugar.

This sugar can attract insects such as ants, gnats, aphids, and mealybugs. So, the insects and fungus make this method unsuitable.

Therefore, I will recommend you the powdered form for your aloe vera.

This takes us straight to the next topic.

How and When To Apply?

Let’s talk about powdered banana peel fertilizer first.

Banana peel powder:

You can simply add one tablespoon every 15 days.

After adding the powder, use a hand fork to gently loosen up the soil. This will allow the powder to mix with the soil.

Now, water thoroughly. Note that raking soil before the application is recommended.

You should know that raking breaks big clumps and makes the soil level. Plus, it can also remove stones and other pieces of debris that prevent aloe vera from growing well.

Now, let’s talk about banana peel tea.

Banana Peel Liquid Fertilizer:

As we discussed earlier, you have to dilute your banana peel tea with water in a watering can.

Now, slowly pour this solution on the soil around the base of your aloe vera.

You can also put some fertilizer in a spray bottle to spray it on the leaves for foliar feeding. This is a general rule for liquid fertilizers.

If I talk about the application rate, you can simply add it once a week. This makes it great for succulents such as aloe vera.

With this, let’s move on to the next topic.

The Disadvantages:

Now, let’s talk about some disadvantages of banana peel fertilizer.

• It can attract gnats, fruit flies, and ants.

If you have banana peels laying on top of the soil, you can encounter this problem. Similarly, the scent of decaying bananas can attract bees as well.

To tackle this problem, you can use powdered banana peel fertilizer. If you ever encounter a fungus gnat issue due to the banana peel tea, here’s what you should do.

You should water your plants as infrequently as possible (without killing them). This will reduce the moisture in the soil.

You can also use some traps to catch some fungus gnats to slow down the reproduction cycle.

• The nitrogen content is low.

We know that aloe vera is not a heavy feeder.

But if you are planning to use this fertilizer on other plants, the low nitrogen content can be a problem. To solve this issue, you can compost the banana peels as well.

Overall, this fertilizer is good for aloe vera.

The Verdict:

Is banana peel fertilizer good for aloe vera?

Yes! This fertilizer is a good choice for aloe vera. To counter the insect problem, you can simply dry the banana peels.

So, the dried banana peel powder will work great. Now, I turn it over to you.

What is the best method to use banana peel fertilizer? Do let me know in the comments below.

Happy gardening!

Further reading:

DAP Fertilizer | All You Need To Know

When To Fertilize Mango Trees in Florida?