Want to give your plants an extra boost of Potassium, Phosphorus, and even some Calcium and Magnesium too? Then, you’ve come to the right place. Banana peel tea is a cheap, all natural fertilizer for cannabis for under $2CAD.
This method does take some preparation and time but it’s well worth it. It can be used as a liquid fertilizer for vegetative growth, liquid PK booster for flower and even a powder rooting aid. The tea can be used on your plants during all stages of growth but will give the most benefits during flower.
Benefits of Using Banana Peel Tea
- Phosphorus helps to increase the number of flowers
- Phosphorus is important for germination & proper root development
- Potassium helps increase the weight/density of the flowers
- Potassium helps strengthen the plants resistance to pests
- Calcium is important for plant cell structure and controlling nutrient uptake
- Magnesium is the central molecule in chlorophyll and important for photosynthesis
What You’ll Need:
- Pitcher or large jar
- Large jar or container for storage
- Water (distilled, filtered or de-chlorinated)
- Banana peels
How to Make Banana Peel Compost Tea
First, you need to fill a pitcher of large jar 3/4 full of distilled water and place it in your refrigerator. Now, every time you eat a banana, simply throw the peel into the pitcher or jar. Continue adding peels until the container is full or roughly seven days. Once the container is full, you can strain the solution into another container for storage.
This solution will be too concentrated, so you have to dilute it with water before feeding your plants. If you’re using other forms of fertilizers already, it’s best to be cautious and use less to avoid nutrient burn. After you monitor the plants, you can assess whether to increase the amount. The banana compost tea is not a complete fertilizer but rather an addition to your fertilizer line up. Now, you have banana peel tea for your cannabis plants.
Powdered Banana Peel Root Aid
Now that you removed those banana peels from the pitcher or jar, don’t throw them away. You can use them to make a rooting aid for seeds, seedlings and for transplanting. All you need to do is dry them. You can dry the peels using a dehydrator, oven or the sun.
- Dehydrator – 160°F/71°C for 8-10 hours
- Oven (on parchment paper) – lowest temperature possible for roughly 6-8 hours*
- Sun – Lay in direct sunlight until completely dry
*Note: Oven temperature ranges vary depending on model*
Place the dry peels into a food processor or coffee grinder and break them down as much as possible. You can use this powder to help with germination in soil, seedlings and plants being transplanted & cloning.
How to Use Banana Peel Compost Tea
- Vegetation – add 1/4 – 1/2 cup tea to 1 gallon of water; feed once a week
- Flower – add 3/4 – 1 cup tea to 1 gallon of water; feed once a week (until week 5 of flower)
How to Use Powered Banana Peel Rooting Aid
- Sprinkle approximately 1 tsp of powder in soil where seed/seedling will be planted
- Mix with 2 Tbsp fresh aloe vera gel or raw honey for dipping clones before planting
Foliar Spray/Aphid Repellent
You can also dilute this solution at a radio of 5:1 (5 parts water, 1 part tea). This can be used as a foliar feeding spray or as a repellent against aphids. Apparently, they hate the smell of bananas. Just lightly spray your leaves and stems during lights out. You can reapply/feed once a week if desired.
