Is Bannana Peel liquid fertilizer enough?

12 years ago

Hey guys, I was wondering if my method of fertilizing my tomatoes is sufficient. Hers how this works I get about three banana peels and maybe a few mango skins and I put them in a blender add water then set it on high. Then I poor it in my five gallon tomato buckets. Supposedly this adds important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, phosphates and sodium. I learned about it on E-How. And I do this about once a week. I do the compost thing but that takes a while. Is this enough to nourish my Big Boys and Brandywines? I would rather not spend money on fertilizer right now.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

digdirt2
12 years ago
I don't see how it possibly could be since it provides none of the primary nutrients N-P-K.

Not to mention that all organic supplements require digestive work by the soil bacteria and micro-herd to make them available to the plants. It takes time, just as it does with compost, for that micro herd to develop in a container assuming it contains soil-less potting mix as it should. None to begin with unless you use one of the soil-less mixes that micro bacteria has been added to or you have added it your self.

From your previous posts it is clear that your plants are already stressed and they will be further stressed as they grow in such a small container. Do them a big favor and give them a good source of nutrients on a regular weekly basis. There are many relatively inexpensive ones available and even a small container will go a long way since it is normally diluted to 1/2 strength when used in containers.

Dave
Ecopal
Original Author
12 years ago
None at all? Here is something I read on Basic info for organic fertilizers.com

Example of the Analysis of Banana Peel and Other Organic Materials

Banana peel N= 0 P= 3.25 K= 41.76
Cantaloupe rinds N= 0 P= 9.77 K= 12.21

the values shown are for stem and fruit growth and as can be seen the K value for the banana will yield large fruit.
I know it lacks certain things but many people seem to agree that this method does help at least a little?
Related Discussions
Can you MAKE fertilizer?
Q
Comments (25)
I like the urine idea. Have to get rid of it somehow anyway...and if one were living "off the grid" this would be one way I suppose. Composting toilets don't add much since the nitro is long gone after it's composted (this is a precaution against bacteria--Chinese farmers traditionally used fresh "night soil" which is why Chinese people traditionally refuse to eat raw vegetables), but they add some minerals and perhaps more importantly will eventually break down into some humus. You can make "compost tea" using an aquarium pump and aerator to aerate a barrel of water and compost. The aerator is needed to prevent accumulation of anaerobic bacteria which are not good for plants (or people).I haven't actually tried this but this is what is recommended in my soil microbes book. This is affordable but unfortunately not really "frugal" because aquarium pumps require electricity and they don't last forever. For nitrogen I grow a lot of nitrogen-fixers. Probably all of the herbaceous members of Leguminaceae are capable of it, some woody members can, and various other plants like Ceanothus also harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria. I grow several species of Lupines around the base of my fruit trees and in my mixed borders, Strawberry Clover and Lathyrus sativus var azureus in vegetable beds over the winter, and I am currently trying to raise a single specimen of Acacia angustissima (a native of the southern prairies of the USA) to maturity to produce seed as another promising nitrogen-fixer. As much fertilizer as I do use, I strongly prefer longer-lasting, old-fashioned types like rock phosphorus and Jersey Greensand. They are not as fast as liquid but they take longer to leach out.
...See More
do you save liquids to put on compost pile?
Q
Comments (17)
Of course I put buckets in the shower to collect water that would go down the drain before it gets to a comfortable temperature. Like, Duh. It goes right onto the garden by the door. A bucket a day throughout the year, sometimes two in the summer, and no, none of it goes to waste - we don't get a drop of rain roughly from Easter to October and this is the Middle East so it gets quite hot.. And yes, sometimes it's got a bit of gold in it........ The very little leftover coffee goes with the UCG, but we don't have much. Cooking water for potatoes and beets, and of course hard-boiled eggs with all that calcium goes again right on the garden - just put it outside the door after dinner and by bedtime it's cool enough. My compost runs to "too wet" anyway, so very little extra liquid goes there. The veggie peels, UGC's etc have usually more than enough moisture. Most of my browns are shredded office paper from work. My not-so-secret weapon is the buckets under the air conditioners. As long as there's a cheesecloth weighted with rocks to deprive the mosquitos from a lovely place to breed, they fill up daily with untreated, distilled water. Since as far as I know, soil health should come from the soil and not the water, it's good ol' H2O free and clear, and nary a drop goes to waste. And wait till you see my watering system.....! Peace Batya
...See More
Lumber Liquidators Exposé on 60 Minutes
Q
Comments (27)
I think this is a great opportunity for education on this subject. Here is more info: http://www.greencabinetsource.org/Manufacturing/Wood_and_Emissions Note: 7 Ways To Reduce Formaldehyde Exposure: http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/06/7-easy-ways-to-reduce-your-exposure-to-formaldehyde/ "Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said that formaldehyde is both worrisome and inescapable. “It’s the smell in new houses, and it’s in cosmetics like nail polish,” he said. “All a reasonable person can do is manage their exposure and decrease it to as little as possible. It’s everywhere.”?
...See More
Who makes their own unconventional fertilizers out of household items?
Q
Comments (24)
let me see if I can find my post where I posted my soil. Otherwise I will post it sometime this weekend. Off to work in a few.: Quickly not an exact recipe but I start with 50% Sphagnum Peat/ProMix/Premier Peat - whatever 25% compost and or earthworm castings or mix of both 25% aeration - lava rock/Perlite/Rice Hulls - etc. as a base mix. I know alot of folks dont like to use peat but it works for me Then I add in alfelfa, kelp, fish, bone, blood, meal. bat and seabird guano. some azomite and or rock phosphate(glacial rock dust, greensand). I use alot of rice hulls for areation. Probably missed a few things, but I mix all this up and let cook for about 4-6 weeks as its a HOT mix. I water using compost tea to keep moist during the process or just stick it outside. I have grown other high nute demanding plants and it works for years like I said. Just add water when needed. Like once a month for adenium. Kelp meal works wonders for all plants inside or out. I get 50 lb bags from my local elevator. Has worked for me. A few of these plants are 27 years old now. I have had them about 22 years.
...See More
Bets
12 years ago
Ecopal,

Giving your plants pureed fruit is about as effective for your tomatoes as it would be for you to have it injected directly into your blood stream. Sure the nutrients are there, but they have to be digested by the soil bacteria and micro-herd that Dave mentioned, just like for your body to use pureed fruit, it has to go through your digestive system.

It might be marginally useful for plants in the ground because the bacteria and micro-herd IN THE SOIL could make some of it useful for the plant. The act of pureeing the fruit increase the surface area of the fruit allowing for a faster than normal breakdown of the nutrients. (But not actually fast.)

There is a lot of faulty information out there on the web from sites that would like you to believe they are experts and know what they are talking about, but an awful lot of it is bunk. With the proliferation of sites on the internet, any idiot can make a web site and many do.

Bear in mind where you read things before you swallow them whole. If it is a reputable web site, (such as from a state extension office, or a university) then it is likely to be valid information. But if the site is not affiliated with a reputable source, or does not list reputable references for their statements, then take it with a grain of salt. Much of what you find as "Garden Wisdom" is merely anecdotal information with no scientific basis.

Including what I say. (Insert great big silly grin here.)

However, if you search reputable scientifically based websites, such as with Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com/) for banana peels as tomato fertilizer as I did, you will not find a single article that discussed the direct use of banana peels, purreed or otherwise, as fertilizer for anything, let alone for tomatoes.

Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Scholar Search Results
dickiefickle
12 years ago
"I know it lacks certain things but many people seem to agree that this method does help at least a little? "

Who are these people? Can you provide a link to that site?
Ecopal
Original Author
12 years ago
I first learned of this method on E-How and it was written by someone with a Bachelor of Science in biology.
I continued to look and I found other websites that support this information.
http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/Pages/Home.aspx
http://greenergreener.com/how-to-make-fertilizer-from-banana-peels/
http://www.helpfulgardener.com/
http://www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com/
P.S. I know it takes a while to break down. I just think that itÃ¯Â¿Â½s worth doing. So far the only thing that has been stressing my plants is the heat and my overwatering. But now that IÃ¯Â¿Â½m more careful about that my new Big Boys that I have planted are doing great.
mtilton
12 years ago
Ecopal, I think it's a wonderful idea. I don't know if it will work for the current season's crops. I think it will fertilize the soil for the whatever is planted after your tomatoes.
digdirt2
12 years ago
mtilton - you are right that they may be of benefit for next year but these are in containers - 5 gallon buckets.

Ecopal - Let's look at some of these sources and evaluate them as a possible "growing tomatoes" source of information:

1) http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/Pages/Home.aspx leads to food recipes, home organization tips, crafts, home decor, and a small garden section on growing trees, shrubs, changing the pH of your soil, and which plants need shade and which need sun. This page is the extent of their tomato growing info.

I find nothing of any value about gardening on this site and given its primary focus - cooking and home decor - I wouldn't expect to find much gardening info that isn't just a rehash of the basic info available from 100's of sites.

2) http://greenergreener.com/how-to-make-fertilizer-from-banana-peels/ is the baking your banana peels to use as fertilizer site. Note his info on the phosphorus and potassium content and the effect baking has on them is, according to him, confirmed this with a friend whoÃ¯Â¿Â½s a pharmacist with an undergrad in chemistry.

This is a personal blog with no credentials included in the About Me section. But to be fair, note how he repeatedly says things like "add to the compost bin", "store until ready to use", and "just poke into the soil", "use organic bananas only". No mention of tomatoes at all. Why would this strike you as a valid information or as anything more than just one person, who has a clear agenda that is NOT growing tomatoes, opinion (and a relatively uninformed one at that)?

Might I suggest some more reliable and informative sources of information on how to grow and feed tomatoes?

Growing Cucumbers, Peppers, and Tomatoes in Containers

5 Tips for Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Hope this helps.

Dave
Ecopal
Original Author
12 years ago
O.K. then fair enough. Ill leave a few containers without the banana fertilizer and see if it makes a difference. If not, well to next year then.

Is Bannana Peel liquid fertilizer enough?

Comments (8)

digdirt2

Ecopal
Original Author

Related Discussions

Bets

dickiefickle

Ecopal
Original Author

mtilton

digdirt2

Ecopal
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Is Bannana Peel liquid fertilizer enough?

Comments (8)

digdirt2

EcopalOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Bets

dickiefickle

EcopalOriginal Author

mtilton

digdirt2

EcopalOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Ecopal
Original Author

Ecopal
Original Author

Ecopal
Original Author