Gardening Gardening Basics

What to Know About Banana Water for Plants

Banana water is easy to make, but might do more harm than good

Overhead view of banana water in a bowl next to a cutting board

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Making banana water for plants is an intriguing idea since bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the United States. But after eating the banana, you're left with the banana peel which, unless it is composted, ends up in the household garbage and eventually in a landfill. Some ideas about re-purposing banana peels have surfaced and one of these ideas includes making banana water from the peels for use as a plant fertilizer. While the intention is laudable, it is a questionable gardening practice. Not only are the benefits not supported by science and research, but banana water can actually harm your plants. 

Here's what we've learned about banana water including why it can do more harm than good, along with some tips about composting banana peels.

How Banana Water is Made

Banana water is similar to compost tea but it comes only from one source, cut-up banana peels. Here is the most common way to make banana water:

  1. Cut up banana peels into 1 or 2-inch pieces.
  2. Immerse the peels in water.
  3. Steep the peels for two to three days.
  4. After soaking, strain the liquid into a large container or jar.
  5. Add the strained liquid to your plants, pouring it around the outer base of the plant to reach the roots.
Placing banana peels in a strainer on top of a glass bowl

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Making Banana Powder

Another less common and more labor-intensive way to add banana power to your plants is by making banana powder using peels. Here's how:

  1. Cut up banana peels into pieces a couple of inches long.
  2. Place them on a single layer, not touching, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  3. Dehydrate the peels either by baking them in an oven at 115 degrees Fahrenheit for up to eight hours or outdoors under direct sunlight. Dry until the peels are black and breakable. Let thoroughly cool.
  4. Put dehydrated, dried peels into a blender or a food processor and grind until they become a powdered consistency.
  5. Water one plant with 2 cups of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of the powder.
  6. Store the dry banana peel powder in an airtight jar and place it in the freezer.

Is Banana Water Good for Plants?

Bananas are touted for being rich in potassium even though their potassium content is not particularly high. Other fruits and vegetables such as kiwis, acorn squash, and avocados are richer in potassium. One of the three macronutrients crucial for plant growth and reproduction, potassium (K) is also referred to as the nutrient that ensures plant quality. Potassium in plants improves resistance to drought or excess water, extreme temperature fluctuations, pests, diseases, and nematodes.

The main problem with banana water is that soaking the peels does not extract potassium to make it available to the plants. Plants can only absorb nutrients that have been broken down by microbes and fungi. Like most raw materials, banana peels should be composted because the process of decomposition is a necessary step for release of the beneficial nutrients. Water, by itself, is insufficient for releasing the potassium.

A fungus gnat pest on the leaf of a houseplant

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

How Banana Water Can Harm Plants 

Adding banana water to your plants may actually backfire. 

Most plants need a balanced fertilizer that supplies the macronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. If you fertilize your plants with just banana water, they might get a tiny amount of potassium at best, but none of the other nutrients. 

Also, keep in mind that conventional banana farming is pesticide-intensive. One of the insecticides widely used in production is the neurotoxicant chlorpyrifos. The peel prevents the chemical from getting into the edible part of the banana, which is why the fruit is not listed as a pesticide-contaminated food by consumer watch groups. Using banana water made from peels that have absorbed pesticides means you may be introducing those contaminants into your plants, causing an undesirable result, especially when used with edible plants and herbs.

Spraying banana water onto a houseplant

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

Alternative Fertilizer Choices

Instead of taking your chances with banana water, it is best to use a commercial organic fertilizer that lists exactly which nutrients you are adding to your plants. Organic fertilizers are marked with a label from the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), which makes them easy to identify.

You can also compost banana peels although they can take up to a year to break down into usable compost.

Safely Composting Banana Peels

Adding banana peels directly to the soil as in trench composting will give the same result as using banana water. Until the peels have completely broken down, any nutrients available will not be taken up by the soil or by any plants grown in it. This means waiting to plant until the raw materials have fully broken down. Unless you bury them deeply, you also risk attracting pests and rodents. If you don't plan to leave an area of your garden fallow for this purpose, there is no real benefit to trench composting as opposed to working a compost pile separate from your planting area.  

Add your banana peels to your compost bin or pile or consider alternatives for indoor composting. Most pesticides licensed for use in the United States will also break down and be rendered harmless through composting. Keep in mind that most commercially grown bananas, however, are not grown in the United States, so composting organically grown peels is the safest bet.

Composting banana peels safely

The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

FAQ
  • Will banana water in plants attract bugs?

    Banana water includes rotting organic matter and it can attract insects such as gnats and vinegar flies (fruit flies).

  • What is a household source of potassium for plants?

    Wood ash from hardwood (oak, ash, hickory, or birch, for example) is often used as a potassium source for plants, but do not use too much or near leaves because it can burn plants. Consider crushed eggshells and coffee grounds as potential sources of potassium, but it's best to compost these items and then use the compost to amend the soil if it needs more potassium.

  • What is the best homemade fertilizer for indoor plants?

    Fish emulsion, made from fish scraps and bones, makes an excellent homemade fertilizer for houseplants thanks to its high nitrogen content.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Potassium for crop production. University of Minnesota Extension Office.

  2. Asiimwe J, Sembajwe LF, Senoga A, Bakiika E, Muwonge H, Kalyesubula R. Overnight soaking or boiling of "Matooke" to reduce potassium content for patients with chronic kidney disease: does it really work?Afr Health Sci. 2013;13(3):546-550. doi:10.4314/ahs.v13i3.2

  3. Banana Cultivation Is Pesticide-Intensive. Environmental Working Group.

  4. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 2730, Chlorpyrifos.

  5. Dirty Dozen Foods. Environmental Working Group