Have been reading up on the benefits of banana skins.
Found this:
Proponents suggest that high quantities of calcium, magnesium, sulphur, phosphates, sodium and silica are released into the soil.
However, the recommendation is to chuck them all onto the compost heap and improve the content of that! It would seem the quantities of 'goodies' in a single skin is minimal to good soil, but would undoubtedly improve impoverished soil. ;)
Having said that, I am sure, particular plants have particular needs. I use skins on roses with great results. ;)
What have you all used skins for?Â
What were the ensuing results like?
What did not react to banana skins?
Lets see if we can formulate our own results!! ? Keep the answers coming and I will formulate the results;D ;D ;D
Apparantly some gardeners adore this mix and claim great results:
Mix:
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon household ammonia
1 tablespoon Epsom salts
1 teaspoon salt
Stir well in:
1 gallon water
Add:
1 cup banana skins, pureed in a blender or food processor or minced finely with a knife
Shake or mix very well.
Apply monthly to indoor and outdoor plants.
Here is one of the old gardeners' tales to feeding roses. Once finished eating a banana, take the skin out and lay over the surface of the soil so the outer part of the skin is facing up towards the sun and the soft inside is flat along the ground. Over time with sun and the rain, it breaks down and releases vital nutrients into the soil, which enhances the performance of the rose, both foliage, roots and flowers, giving natural feed to your plants. Bury them near roses and other established shrubs. Banana skins are rich in potassium which encourages strong, healthy growth and helps plants resist disease. Chop them up and feed to your roses. Epsom salts are said to be a good deterrent for slugs in the garden. This also adds magnesium to the soil but do not be too heavy-handed, or you may get a build up of excess salts. There is misunderstanding concerning Epsom salts since some sulfate compounds (e.g., ammonium sulfate, aluminum sulfate, iron sulfate) have soil-acidifying properties. However, there are many other sulfate compounds which do not acidify soil. Examples include calcium sulfate (gypsum), magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), and potassium sulfate. Magnesium is a key component of chlorophyll, the green coloring material of plants, and is vital for photosynthesis (the conversion of the sun's energy to food for the plant). Deficiencies occur mainly on sandy acid soils in high rainfall areas, especially if used for intensive horticulture. Heavy applications of potassium in fertilizers can also produce magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency can be overcome with dolomite lime (a mixed magnesium-calcium carbonate), magnesite (magnesium oxide) or Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate).
they take a little longer than most things to rot down, so I tear 'em into smaller bits to help.
I heard that they were good for tree ferns as a fertiliser so used them but then I also heard that rats are quite partial to them so I stopped that as I know squirrels like to chew the fronds off tree ferns and I regard squirrels as rats :o
our council compost leaflets say not to include banana skins in domestic compsters because they attract rats.
mind you, i have rather more faith in the people here than the council so what do you all think?
I've always put banana skins round my roses and never had any problems with vermin. I add them to my compost heap too. I have had a mouse in my compost bin :o but no rats. If you don't put cooked food in it then there should be no problem :)
I picked up a tip from somewhere - I thought it was this site but apparently not - that a couple of overripe bananas should be put in the hole before planting courgettes. I tried this out and it certainly hasn't been detrimental - I shall have to wait until the end of the season before deciding whether to do it again.
I always put banana skins into my compost heap - no mice or rats yet, but I do have a slow worm.
My 77 y o mama conducted clinical trials over the last whatever many years (i.e. trial and error) and says banana skins are beneficial to roses, without doubt.
Re: rats, the amount of rats in this country and the UK, according to "experts" may mean we are only a short distance from them at any given time. So I don't worry about them that much. My only surprise is that as we live opposite a canal and I have put my foot down since Christmas/New Year on the dog lying on the bed, how come the mrs. is still put out by that. And yet she freaks out if all the washing up liquid/suds is not washed off dishes doing the wash up!!!lol
though, for the second time in a few weeks, on the lid of my plastic dalek type compost bin there seems to be pieces of meeses faeces. Or it could be a birds too.
Hi flowerlady,
           Both of my Jaspee De Vendee squash plants were planted on top of a pile of over ripe bananas rescued from a local supermarket skip. ;)
The plants appear to be thriving on this food supply which also seems to retain moisture at the roots.
All my fruit bushes are also planted on top of bananas / banana skins in the raw state, not composted.
It is my belief that the fruit bushes derive a more sustained release of nutrient using this method, but that's just a personal opinion.
                           PREMTAL ;)
Love bananas so I've always got plenty of skins. I saw my niece put one in the dustbin the other day. She's been living away from home for too long. I got it out and put it round my rose ;D
Interesting stuff Premtal about growing on it and I'll give that a go. It's true thought that a nana is a slow release food so I suppose it follows that they'll be good for our veggies
Compared with other fruits, apples, pears, oranges, grapefruit etc the banana actually has a relatively high glycemic index value. It is only comparable as a slow release food in an unripe state which is not how most people eat them. The reason I suspect they are so popular is because they are convenient and convenience sells. Medium rather than slow and high compared to other fruits.
Cornflakes are much worse. I stopped eating Kellogs range of over processed junk. Pasta - another popular over processed junk food which is convenient and also not slow release like most people are lead to believe. My weght is not 14 stone and rising but 11 stone and steady and I eat more now than I did before.
Switch off the brainwash box in the corner of your front room otherwise your idea of healthy food will be significantly skewed by the manufacturers who are interested only in profit and product shelf life.
Fat is not bad for you infact it's essential and regulates your hunger preventing over eating and slows the rate of release of other foods you consume. A low fat diet is crazy IMO.
Television, the drug of the nation. What does imo stand for?
"IMO" In my opinion - I think
I eat lots of Cornflakes.. I know I'd be better off eating the box but I like them but with JERSEY milk on :o I bought some organic porridge t'other day and it's quite big flakes. It's a tad chewy but I suppose that's what proper porridge used to be like before they started over refining it. I'll cook it longer next time
I didn't think pasta was rubbish. I eat loads of that as well. Now I have grown my own spuds though I will be eating less pasta which has to be a good thing then
Ta for the info :)
That's exactly how Porridge should be Wardy :) I always look out for bigger flakes - it has more texture. Seem to remember that Scotts used to be like that when I was younger.
Going back to bananas for a moment! Have a look at the link below ;D
http://www.bananas.uk.net/banana_group.html
Considering the value of eating one a day to humans, I suppose it is hardly surprising that they do plants so much good too!!!!! ;D
Quote from: Ed^Chigliak on August 03, 2005, 10:45:51
Compared with ...
.... A low fat diet is crazy IMO.
Agree, agree, and agree again. Nothing better than crispy bacon...
Also would add that evidently there is research to show that greenish bananas contain something or other that helps prevent bowel cancer.
Quote from: jennym on August 03, 2005, 17:48:23
Quote from: Ed^Chigliak on August 03, 2005, 10:45:51
Compared with ...
.... A low fat diet is crazy IMO.
Agree, agree, and agree again. Nothing better than crispy bacon...
Also would add that evidently there is research to show that greenish bananas contain something or other that helps prevent bowel cancer.
Except a live pig
Sorry - sometimes a militant veggie
a low fat diet? :o
but what about my banana fritters ;D with syrup and nuts?
Back to porridge...
The best porridge is whole oat groats brought to the boil and then left to soaked over night and in the morning add a few rolled oats and reheat. The whole grains unroll naturally and the resulting porridge is proper porridge. Oats actually contain a small amount of GLA but once they are rolled the oil is no longer protected and degrades. Steel cut oats are a good compromise but oddly they are produced in Ireland and sold to the US market.
Back to bananas...
Nobody has ever slipped on a banana skin so what's that all about.
Quote from: Ed^Chigliak
Except a live pig
Sorry - sometimes a militant veggie
quote]
Sorry Ed didn't mean to offend.
I'll take my chances with crispy bacon & butter as it happens. I have far greater reservations about margarines & soya proteins. Organic and veggie is perceived as healthy but that depends on what choices you make.
The tendency with veggies who subscribe to the 'low fat' food experiment is to hammer the carbohydrates (cornflakes & pasta). Carbs are sugars and any surplus to the bodies requirements gets stored as fat.
This lifetime I will mostly be eating free range & organic meats + allotment grown vegetables, herbs & fruit.
I like some of Premtals home grown 'super foods' mentioned elsewhere on this forum.
Just to keep it vaguely on topic... I've eaten a banana today and will be composting the skin.
Yerghhh - margarine. A member of our household insists on eating margarine. I keep 'forgetting' to buy it.
I reckon everyone could afford to eat free range or organic meat, if they just ate less meat.
What's so special about banana skins as opposed to other compostables? my mum keeps on about them too.
Regrettably what you had for breakfast will not help my research!
Seriously, I really do want to find out about what effects bananas have on the growing performance of our veggies.
Would any one be prepared to help me and trial a single plant on their plot to help me with this?
I don't have bananas for breakfast, but as I said, my mother has trialed and erred with and without bananas for donkeys years and has said they are beneficial to roses.
regards,
I used to work with a girl whose fiance worked with Ireland's biggest importers of bananas and she said that he said ALWAYS wash your bananas before eating them, the things he saw....I rarely do, myself, but that's what he said (met him one day)
Hi flowerlady,
           Have you any particular veg in mind, I would suggest a list of plants which you think will provide you with a data base of information.
I will take part in your banana trial as I believe that this will be a worthy exercise in determining the potential of bananas as a growth stimulator for annual crops.
                               PREMTAL :)
While we are on the subject of Bananas, could I please urge people not to buy Del Monte or Chiquita. These bananas are intensively grown using massive amounts of chemical which are effecting the health of people and the environment of the Central American countries in which they are grown. Very little money goes into the local economy as both a US brands. It is much better (IMHO) to support the banana growers of the Windward Islands (I think Ffyffes bananas are Windward) They are not allowed to use so many (or any chemicals). The farms are smaller and generally locally owned and our very own government has had a scrap with the EU because we support the farms financially.
PS I would be very grateful for anybody who follows this advice as I do not like bananas so cannot be my usual proactive self.
Premtal ... thanks for your offer to trial some plants. :)
If anyone were interested to see if the humble banana could benefit their crops ... :o
I would suggest any plant that is pot grow, such as toms, peppers, chillies, gherkins, cuc, melons etc These are far more likely to be observed in greater detail. ;)
Flowers even ;D ;D ;D
Any plant that the grower has a keen interest in :-\
Ideally three to four plants would be required.
1 as grown as normal (control plant)
1 with whole fruit
1 with just fruit
1 with just skin
Observations to be made:-
Rate of growth - measure at weekly(?) intervals
Foliage - colour, size, density
Fruit - colour, size, quantity
AND - TASTE
so what do you think? come on guys give it a go!! :D