Banana peel in the garden: an ally or a scam?

Article for :All parent plants

What if banana peels weren't just used to win at Mario Kart? For some gardeners, this waste product is a miracle fertilizer for our plants, a polish and a bulwark against pests. The Monstera team takes a closer look.

Should banana peel be used as plant fertilizer?

Whole or cut up, banana peels don't make good fertilizer / Photo generated by artificial intelligence

Just type banana peel fertilizer on social networks or a search engine to come across dozens of testimonials and recipes shared by convinced gardeners. Rich in potassium and phosphorus, yellow peels are an excellent fertilizer for vegetable gardens, both for potted and outdoor plants. Rosebushes, tomato plants and squash particularly appreciate them.

For specialists, banana peel can be used in a number of ways. You can :

Chop or cut banana peel into pieces and plant at the base of your plants;
Place a whole banana peel at the foot of your plants;
Infuse the banana peel and use the water for watering.

Does it work?

Several scientific studies have examined the fertilizing virtues of banana peel. The most favorable conclude that peels improve tomato yields, but less significantly than fertilizer. A balanced fertilizer for flowering plants or houseplants will be far more effective for a beautiful garden.

Banana peel contains potassium (24-35 mg/g) and phosphorus (1.5-3 mg/g), but hardly any nitrogen. Yet this ingredient is essential for the proper development of plants, and is often the element they lack most. What's more, the potassium and even phosphorus content is lower than in other waste products, such as avocado peel or potato skins. So bananas may not be the best choice if you're looking for a cheap, natural fertilizer.

Plants also absorb nutrients more easily with a commercial fertilizer. Fertilizer releases its nutrients directly. A banana peel, on the other hand, takes up to ten months to decompose and release potassium and phosphorus into the soil. Think you can get around this by making banana tea? It's no use. According to some experts, the potassium doesn't diffuse into the water when the peel is brewed.

Finally, using banana peel as a fertilizer for your plants has perverse effects. As it decomposes, the waste attracts certain insects, such as fruit flies. What's more, too great a concentration of decomposing bananas could have an impact on soil structure and alter its PH.

Does banana peel make plant leaves shinier and more resistant?

In addition to being inefficient, banana peel is not very practical for dusting plants / Photo generated by artificial intelligence

Some people like to use bananas to clean and dust the leaves of their houseplants. Rubbing the foliage with the inside of the peel is said to make the blades brighter and more resistant to disease.

We couldn't find any studies on the lustrous properties of banana peel, only a few testimonials from convinced enthusiasts and photos in which, let's face it, the results didn't jump out at us. One thing, however, is certain : glossing products deposit a film on the leaves that clogs the plant's spores and reduces its ability to photosynthesize.

When you clean your Monstera deliciosa or Alocasia Frydek with a banana peel, you should run it over the upper surface of the leaf blade only. Rinse with a soft, damp cloth or in the shower. You might as well save time and simply shower your plant or wipe its foliage with a damp cloth, both of which are safe and tried-and-tested techniques.

Does banana peel repel pests?

Since we couldn't find a photo of a slug that didn't like bananas, we asked artificial intelligence to create one.

According to many enthusiasts, banana peels contain compounds capable of repelling aphids from your rose bushes. Their smell is also said to repel slugs and snails. Burying peels under your plant and strategically placing a few peels would be infallible remedies against pests, according to these well-informed gardeners.

Again, we couldn't find any scientific studies on the subject. On the other hand, we have come across hundreds of photos of snails and slugs eating banana peels, which seriously contradicts the repellent theory.

When in doubt, don't rely solely on banana peels to protect your plants, lettuces and rose bushes. If you don't want to use chemical pest control products, opt for proven biological aids or slug nets.

How can banana peels be used effectively in the garden?

As with eggshells or coffee grounds, the best use for banana peel in the garden is in compost / Photo generated by artificial intelligence

Like many other plant wastes, banana peels find their way into compost, which you can then use as fertilizer to fertilize your soil. However, as banana peel takes a long time to decompose, you need to follow a few rules:

Cut the banana peel into two- or three-centimetre pieces to facilitate decomposition;
Do not exceed one-third organic waste (including banana peel) in your compost.

By Servane Nemetz
on 15-08-2025 at 18h51