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View Full Version : Banana peels safe as fertilizer?


DannyDaemonic
08-25-2009, 04:05 PM
I know banana diseases are causing a lot of trouble for some major banana plantations. So I was wondering if it's safe to feed store bought banana peels to you banana plants. They look fine, but I don't think you can tell for sure just by looking. Does anyone know about this?

sbl
08-25-2009, 04:11 PM
I don't know, but if you have a compost pile, that would help since the heat produced in the pile will kill many pathogens.

Patty in Wisc
08-25-2009, 06:59 PM
If I don't make banana bread with over ripe bananas, I bury them in the soil of my nana plants. Also, I bury them in soil of my passion flowers .. they love the potassium. The peels always go in my compost... sometimes whole over ripe ones there too.

Jananas Bananas
08-25-2009, 07:25 PM
That would be a good question for Bananas Quarterly! I don't know where to guide you to send it in, but maybe someone can send you a link!

I put mine into the compost pile, and cut them up and put them down inside the "lips" of my staghorn ferns, and I put small pieces into gallon size ziplocks with a wet paper towel as mini greenhouses for starting seeds.

Bob
08-25-2009, 08:13 PM
In the main banana discusion section there is a "submit your question to bananas quarterly" thread.(had to search to remember!) Glad you brought it up J.B......

hammer
08-25-2009, 08:15 PM
I go to grocery store take all of the over ripen bananas put them into my compost pile it is so hot in my pile see how anything could live and i use them around my banana plants no problems so far.

DannyDaemonic
08-25-2009, 08:22 PM
I stopped composting last year. I still like to throw banana peels near plants and cover them lightly with dirt. Plants really love it. I'm just worried about by bananas. Can the peel contain and transfer diseases? I'm going to post this in the ask Banana Quarterly post.

Edit: Actually the post says to email the question. So I'll do that.

LilRaverBoi
08-25-2009, 11:06 PM
I kinda figure the compost of banana peels is pretty fair-game. From the major diseases: sigatoka, bunchy top, nematodes, banana weevils I'd assume you're pretty safe, to be honest. I doubt you would gain diseases in your area through commercial banana peels...but then again, I'm not an 'expert.' I know enough about those disease to say I doubt it'd be a problem, but I'll wait to see what others say!

Compost is the BOMB for most any plants though, so my best guess is you're all good!

Richard
08-25-2009, 11:21 PM
Banana peels are impractical as a fertilizer. Feel free to add them to your compost pile though.

See this prior thread for more details:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/banana-peels-3508.html#post29049

DannyDaemonic
08-26-2009, 01:49 PM
Thanks for the link Richard, but I certainly don't intend to only use banana peels for fertilizer! I was only asking if it was safe.

Someone in that thread you linked me to also asked if it was safe, and your reply was that you'd like to learn more about it. Then you go on to confuse viruses with bacteria, which I can say for certain, are not the same thing.

So no offence, but I don't think any of that answers my question.

bencelest
08-26-2009, 01:57 PM
I don't worry about it I just bury them directly to ground together with newspapers, peels of other fruits etc... why worry....
plants will grow no matter what.....worms love those stuff I bury.