Banana peels and rose bushes - Ask Extension
Are chopped banana peels beneficial to sprinkle under rose bushes? If so, just chop them and sprinkle under or soak in a jar with water for days first...
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Banana peels and rose bushes #793043
Asked May 28, 2022, 8:12 AM EDT
Are chopped banana peels beneficial to sprinkle under rose bushes? If so, just chop them and sprinkle under or soak in a jar with water for days first then pour the peel tea?
Cuyahoga County Ohio
Expert Response
Mary Claire,
While many internet websites and garden blogs have 'try this' recommendations for using banana peels to add potassium to roses, I've found no data-based science for this practice. As a general rule, it is best to compost non-meat kitchen waste before using it in your garden.
The best way to determine if your soil needs more potassium is to send a sample to a lab for testing. This article explains how and where to get this done:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1132
The Rose Society has a good primer on fertilizing roses - using chemical or organic fertilizers:
https://www.rose.org/single-post/2018/03/20/a-fertilizer-primer-what-s-in-that-rose-food
Also, UMass Extension offers some background on nutrient needs and suggestions for when and when not to fertilize roses:
https://ag.umass.edu/cafe/fact-sheets/fertilizing-flower-gardens-avoid-too-much-phosphorus
Please let me know if you have further questions.
While many internet websites and garden blogs have 'try this' recommendations for using banana peels to add potassium to roses, I've found no data-based science for this practice. As a general rule, it is best to compost non-meat kitchen waste before using it in your garden.
The best way to determine if your soil needs more potassium is to send a sample to a lab for testing. This article explains how and where to get this done:
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1132
The Rose Society has a good primer on fertilizing roses - using chemical or organic fertilizers:
https://www.rose.org/single-post/2018/03/20/a-fertilizer-primer-what-s-in-that-rose-food
Also, UMass Extension offers some background on nutrient needs and suggestions for when and when not to fertilize roses:
https://ag.umass.edu/cafe/fact-sheets/fertilizing-flower-gardens-avoid-too-much-phosphorus
Please let me know if you have further questions.
