Is Banana Peel Water Good for Plants?

When it comes to the benefits of banana peel water for plants, anecdotal opinions are mixed. Further, we haven’t been able to find any scientific studies specifically on banana peel liquid for plants.

If you know of any published research papers on scientific studies of the disadvantages and benefits of banana peel water for plants, please let us know so that we can study it and add it to this article.

So while scientist may not have studied if there are any benefits of banana water for plants, they have proven that banana peels benefits and real, so perhaps it’s just a matter of time.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of people who swear by the advantages of banana peel water for plants. According to Indian friends, it’s a common tradition in India, so what’s the lore on what plants like banana water?

What Plants Like Banana Water as Fertilizer?

Plants that thrive on potassium include fruiting and flowering plants, shrubs and trees. So if you’re growing roses, tomatoes, peppers, Meyer lemons and other fruiting and/or flowering trees, you may want to try giving those plants banana water fertilizer and see how they do.

We have one really healthy Meyer lemon and one that is struggling, so we’re going to try the banana peel water for that plant.

Bananas are well known to have high levels of potassium. Subsequently, some people have written that to give plants banana water as fertilizer could cause a nutrient imbalance if potassium levels are too high.

However, that probably isn’t a big risk as bananas are high in a number of nutrients, not just potassium, as are banana peels. Thus it stands to reason that using banana peel water for plants is likely more beneficial than just plain water, at least some of the time.

“I made banana water for my tomatoes last year and watered them with it every couple of weeks. They really seemed to like it a lot.”
~Kathie Folsom, realtor, homesteader, founder – North Georgia Seed Exchange

Nutrients Found in Banana Peel Compost

Banana Peels Nutrients Listed Alphabetically

• calcium
• iron
• manganese
• magnesium
• nitrogen
• phosphorus
• potassium
• sulfur
• zinc

Banana Peels Nutrients Listed in Order from Highest to Lowest

• phosphorus
• sodium
• calcium
• iron
• magnesium
• potassium
• manganese
• copper
• zinc

REFERENCE: Scientific study published in May, 2022 in the hindawi Journal.^[1]https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2022/7616452/

Banana Peel Tea for Plants

Is there scientific evidence that supports using banana peels or banana peel tea in the garden? Yes, however more studies are needed as well as clarification as to the benefits of the different forms of banana peels.

We found no studies on banana peel compost and extracts, however none specific to banana peel water, aka, banana peel tea.

Banana Peel Research

Here are some examples of studies of banana peel extract benefits.

• Reduced water needs on quinoa^[2]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308244852_Effect_of_Banana_Peel_Extract_or_Tryptophan_on_Growth_Yield_and_Some_Biochemical_Aspects_of_Quinoa_Plants_under_Water_Deficit
• Increased germination rate and seedling growth in corn crops^[3]https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225037198_Effect_of_banana_plant_extracts_on_germination_and_seedling_growth_of_some_vegetable_crops
• Increased germination – banana peel extract increased germination rates for tomato and fenugreek crops from 14% to 97%, and 25% to 93.14% respectively.^[4]https://bnrc.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42269-019-0058-1

Some Caution in Using Banana Peels for Plants

We don’t know of any scientific studies on using banana peels as a fertilizer, so we suggest that you continue to add your peels to the compost pile rather than apply a specific banana peel tea.

However, if you don’t have a compost tumbler or bin, then there are other options for using banana peels for your plants that are more beneficial.

Applying a banana peel fertilizer for potassium, is a bit like taking a vitamin without knowing if you really need it. If your soil is low in potassium, then that could be a good thing; if not, it could be a waste of time and effort.

So it’s best to get a soil test to determine your baseline information on nutrient levels, soil pH, and organic matter. Or, you can determine your soil health by observing what’s growing there.^[5]https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/soil-testing

But let’s summarize the lists of disadvantages of banana peel water for plants as well as the benefits.

Benefits of Using Banana Peel Water for Fertilizer:

1. Rich in nutrients: Bananas contain nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium that are essential for healthy plant growth.
2. Easy to make: Banana peels are easily available and can be easily made into a liquid fertilizer.
3. Cost-effective: This is an inexpensive way to provide plants with the necessary nutrients for free.

Banana Peel Liquid Fertilizer Disadvantages:

1. Unpleasant Odor: As the banana peels decompose, they can produce a strong odor which may be unpleasant.
2. Imbalanced Nutrients: Banana peel water alone may not contain sufficient levels of other essential nutrients. without supplementation, whereas organic fertilizers come equipped with a balanced blend.
3. Pests Problems: If the banana peels are not properly prepared or stored, they can attract pests and develop fungus that can be detrimental to plants.
4. Messy: Using banana peel water for plants is messier than using plain water.
5. Space: You need to leave a pitcher of decomposing chopped banana peels on the counter or in the fridge.

Consider Dried Banana Peels

For a work-around to the disadvantages of using banana peel fertilizer, check out how to dry banana peels.

Using dehydrated crushed and powdered banana peels resolves the disadvantages of banana peel water, while still putting even more of the benefits of free banana peel refuse to work for you and your plants!

Dried powdered banana peels can also be more readily (and pleasantly) used for house plants and it’s easier and less messy than the banana peels water.

If you’re reading this, chances are you enjoy using organic and homemade fertilizer options first and foremost. So you’ll probably also enjoy these articles on coffee grounds for plants and Epsom salt for plants.

Conclusion on Whether Banana Peel Water is Good for Plants

Our surmisal is that powdered banana peel would deliver more nutrients than banana water, and be safer from from attracting pests and fungus than fresh banana pulp. However, we found no studies on that, so would need to experiment ourselves.

Yes, banana peel water is a free source of supplemental nutrition for plants. However, the best fertilizer for plants is organic compost, compost tea and fertilizers that provide the appropriate amounts of all essential nutrients specific to your plant and soil needs.

We also use Milorganite organic fertilizer, which serves a secondary purpose as a deer deterent!

That said, it’s all good! We love that banana refuse can be turned into banana peel water for plants, (and so much more)! It’s akin to how we try to get most of our nutrients from the foods we eat, but we also take some supplements and herbal tinctures. It’s the same for our plants.

So we hope you’ll enjoy making good use of some of the incredible banana peels benefits, and we’d love to hear.

Also, if you have chickens, check out our banana peels for chickens article.