Are Banana Peels Good For Tomato Plants?

Time to Read 4 Minutes.

Many home gardeners prefer organic gardening. The biggest challenge that you face while growing tomato plants is providing enough organic fertilizer. We can use many kitchen wastes as a source of fertilizer for tomato plants. These toxin-free fertilizers are good for your health. In this article, I’m going to discuss banana peels good for tomato plants.

Tomato plants are heavy fertilizer feeders. These plants pass several growing stages throughout their life cycle. At each level, we have to provide the required fertilizer in a reasonable amount.

Tomato plant requires Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulfur (S), Chloride (Cl) in more significant amounts, and micronutrients like Iron (Fe), Boron (B), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo), Zinc (Zn) in smaller amounts. (source)

Are Banana Peels Good For Tomato Plants?

Banana peels for tomato plants are a good source of organic fertilizer. These peels are rich in Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), and Calcium (Ca). Tomato nutrient deficiency highly affects its fruit development and leaf growth. This lack of soil fertility will result in losing fruits, and growth stunts discoloring the leaves.

Calcium, magnesium, and potassium deficiencies result in blossom end rot, tomato leaves curling inwards, losing green color through veins, and yellowing leaves.

Therefore it is highly beneficial to use banana peels directly into the soil (like a tea or powder) or add them to your organic compost bin.

Banana peels nutrients level.

First, we have to check the banana peels’ nutrient levels. Therefore we have to look at scientific research. One of the researchers found that Banana peels are rich in Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium (source). Another study found that it contains a high amount of Phosphorus (source).

After considering the above facts, we can use these banana skins as an organic fertilizer for tomatoes.

How to use banana peels for tomato plants.

We can apply these nutrients rich organic fertilizers to tomato plants in many different ways. There are three alternative ways to use banana peel directly on tomato plants to increase soil fertility, and this article will teach you that.

• Banana peels powder.
• Banana peels tea
• Directly bury in soil.

Banana peels powder for Tomato Plants.

In this method, we dry the peels and crush them into the smallest pieces possible. We must first remove the water from these banana peels because they are very juicy.

For the dehydration process, we can do it mainly in two ways. Dry them either in bright sun or oven. The process of drying in the sun takes some time. But it is a simple, inexpensive method.

Electric or gas-based oven is faster, and you can dry them in less than 30 minutes depending on the maximum temperature. In my situation, I used a Microwave oven at the temperature level 570°F (300°C). (Do not use the microwave option. In my case, dried peels start making a small fire inside the oven. Always use the conventional option in the microwave oven).

First, prepare the peals. For this, you can use a grill rack. Lay down the leaves one by one. If you have a large number of leaves, you can use a multi-level frame for this.

Then place them in an oven and heat the oven. Always keep an eye on peels, do not over dry them. It will burn the dried peels. If the oven makes any smoke, immediately stop the oven.

After water evaporated, the leaves are crispy and like a potato chip. Using a grinder or mortar and pestle, crush them until powder.

Now you can use these powdery banana peels directly into tomato plants’ soil. This powder can easily blow away; therefore, cover it using another soil layer after being added to the ground.

Banana Peel Tea For Tomato Plants.

In this process, the nutrients in the banana peel dissolve well in the water. This method can be considered the most effective and fastest method to extract banana peels’ nutrients and provide them to tomato plants.

Take a couple of banana peels (depending on the size of the garden). Cut them into 2 or 4 inches size. Then put them into a sealable container, either bottle, basket, or jar.

Fill the water up to an inch above the level of peels. That level is enough to dissolve nutrients.

Every 2 to 3 days, mix this tea well.

After 6 or 7 days left, this banana peels tea is ready to use. We can directly pour them into the soil or mix them with the water. I recommend mixing the banana peels tea with water in a 1:5 ratio.

Directly bury banana peels in tomato potting mix.

This peel are burring is a simple method to provide the banana peels nutrients to tomato plants. If you have a few amounts of tomato plants, you can follow this method.

In this method, we are cut the peels around 3 or 4 inches long and bury them close to the plant without damaging the room bowl.

Alternatively, you can place the top of the soil as a leave mulch, just like the following screenshot.

In this method, peels require a few weeks to be rotten and dissolve nutrients in the soil. Therefore it will take a longer time than the above-discussed methods.