Banana is a great organic matter that is parked with many nutrients that are good for plant growth and soil health. Scraps such as peels of banana can be added to the compost. It helps add nutrients to the compost quickly more than most other compostable materials.
Read on to learn whether banana peels are good compostable materials plus ways on how to compost banana peels.
Can you Compost Banana Peels?
Generally, what you add to your compost is one of the most important components of composting, which determines whether compost will breakdown fast or takes a long time before it completes. What you add to your compost also determines whether your compost will smell bad or not.
But, can you compost banana peels?
In composting, you want to find a decent material that will not cause a delay during composting. You need a compostable material that will get you rich fertilizer in about a month or three months.
You want compostable materials that will help increase the microbial activities of the decomposition microorganisms. You need a compostable material that will quickly release all its nutrients to the compost.
And if you are looking for compostable materials that parked all these quality features, look no further than banana peels. Banana peels are organic that are very easy to breakdown and release the nutrients to the compost.
Banana peels contain a high amount of nitrogen, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur. And all these minerals are required for proper plant growth and yields. Learn more about bananas here.
Tip: Learn more about the nutrients that are present in a banana
Relate
Are Banana Peels green or brown Compost?
In composting, compostable materials are grouped into two parts: the brown and green compostable materials. The green compostable materials are materials that contain a high amount of nitrogen compound while the brown compostable materials are materials that contain a high amount of carbon compound.
A well-balanced compost should contain the right amount of brown organic matters and green organic matters in the correct proportion.
Let us go back to the question, banana peels fall under green organic matters. Because banana peels are wet and contain a high amount of nitrogen compound.
Tip: Find out more information about green and brown compostable materials from here.
What can you do with Old Banana Peels?
Old banana peels can also be put into the compost bin or pile SP far they are not contaminated with chemicals and pathogens.
How to compost Banana Peels
Composting the banana peels is very simple and straightforward. Collect the banana peels, cut them into pieces, and then add them to your compost bin or pile.
Unlike, other compostable materials, you can add the whole banana peels into the compost and they can breakdown so easily.
However, cutting the peels into smaller pieces also increase the surface area and makes it easier to be broken down by the decomposition microorganisms.
Tip: You can learn more about composting kitchen scraps from here and here
How to Compost Banana Tree Trunks?
The banana tree trunk can be chopped into smaller sizes and then composted. They can help stabilize soil quality by increasing the soil water retention capacity and fertility. The banana tree trunk can also supplement plants with nutrients.
How long does it take for Banana Peels to Compost?
Complete banana scraps or peel can take about three to four weeks to breakdown completely. However, this can depend on the composting method you employed. That is a cold or hot method of composting.
Composting via vermicomposting and traditional composting method using compost bin or pile can break down banana peels or scraps so quickly. This is because the process generates heat. And this heat helps breakdown the banana peels.
You can learn more about how long it takes compost to become fully ready.
Banana Peels Compost Tea
Making compost with banana peels is one way of turning banana peels into fertilizer for your garden plants. Another way is to make a banana peels tea.
This requires only water and you do not need to wait for months before you feed your garden plants with the fertilizer.
It is an effective method of extracting the main minerals that are present in banana peels within a short period of time.
To make banana peels tea, gather your banana peels and fill one cup with the banana peels. Put this one cup of banana peels in one gallon of water.
Allow the banana peels and water mixture to steep for 2-3 days. Then, after this time, strain the mixture into another container.
Before you use the liquid fertilizer or banana peels tea, make sure you dilute or reduce the concentration of the tea with at least two parts of water. This helps you avoid causing damage to your garden plants.
You can use this to fertilize the base of plants and you can use it for foliar spray.
Other Materials You can Compost with Banana peels
Shredded newspapers: shredded newspapers is a good brown organic matters that can be composted together with banana peels. They help add carbon compound to the compost. And this provide food for the decomposition microorganisms.
Coffee grounds: coffee grounds are also good green compostable materials that help add nitrogen and moisture to the compost. They are easily to breakdown and so they make a good combination with banana peels.
Eggshells: eggshells contain calcium compound. And this mineral is good for plants health and soil quality.
Avocado scraps: avocado is also a good kitchen waste that can convininetly be added into a compost. Avocado is rich in many minerals, which are good for plants.
Shredded tree branches: tree branches are good brown compostable materials that help add carbon compounds to your compost. The shredded branches also help reduce moisture in the compost, and this also helps prevent the compost from releasing a bad odor.
Read also: Can You Compost Bread: The Ultimate Bread Composting Guide
Frequently asked Questions
Can you Compost Orange peels?
Yes and no. This is because there are many issues that were raised about composting orange peels. And these issues include attracting pests, causing diseases to plants, and delaying the composting process. You can learn more about citrus composting here.
Can you Compost Eggshells?
Eggshells are good kitchen scraps that can be added into a compost bin or pile.
What can’t you compost?
Not all kitchen and garden waste can go into compost. Some organic water is sometimes avoided in compost in order to speed up the composting process.
Some of these materials that are sometimes avoided in compost are fish scraps, meat scraps, carnivores feces, diseased plants, citrus peels, treated products, and dairy products.
Read also: How To Turn Compost In A Plastic Bin
Can you compost apples?
Yes. You can add apple cores to your compost. They are easy to be decomposed when properly added to the compost alongside other compostable materials such as eggshells, banana peels, and other leafy green vegetables.
Conclusion
I have looked at the different ways on how to come banana peels and reasons why banana peels are good compostable materials.
I hope you will enjoy reading the article and find what you want. Let me know if you have any question in the comments section below.
