Banana Skins

[Ian White]

Hi Guys

Just a quick one could i put Banana Skins in my Compost heap or should i just cary on with the kitchen scraps that i have been using

All the best,Ian

[Sanjo]

Banana skins are fine for the compost bin. I put all mine in there anyway!!

[ladylottie]

So do I - lots of them!

[BUFFS]

hi ian, banana skins compost down well but i tend to put mine around my gooseberry bushes(not touching)and let them rot there,they put lots of nourishment straight into the soil of the plants,i never have had to feed my fruit bushes,put onto doing this by elder gardener,a little gem of knowledge.

[Flummery]

I put mine in too. Best place for 'em! Some people use them under unripe tomatoes (on the vine) as they give off a gas which helps ripening. However, with my luck I'd slip and break me leg on the greenhouse path!

[Torreya]

Banana skins, like the contents, are full of potassium, so fine for compost, or direct on the ground, especially around pot's, tom's and fruit.

[Two_Sheds]

Just a quick one could i put Banana Skins in my Compost heap

I was just curious why you thought you shouldn't?

Banana skins, like the contents, are full of potassium,

this is often quoted, but isn't exactly correct.
The potassium is in the fruit - the (fresh) skin is less than 1% potassium. Even the fruit itself doesn't have as much potassium as a glass of OJ.

If you were to apply banana skins at the same rate as you would a powdered potash feed, you'd need 22 bananas every square metre !

source: http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/32/11/969.pdf

[lainey lou]

Just FYI, banana skins are a great cure for verrucas!

[Two_Sheds]

Just FYI, banana skins are a great cure for verrucas!

... but terribly difficult to keep in place in one's Manolos

[northepaul]

... but terribly difficult to keep in place in one's Manolos

ROFL! Very funny

[binley100]

I'm glad this came up for some strange reason I thought you couldn't compost them . Or is that orange peel

[Alison]

I tend to put my banana peels in the wormery as the worms really love them but some do make it to the compost bin and they break down very well. You do have to be a bit careful with citrus peel (and onion too) as they're very acidic but so long as you don't add too many at once then there isn't a problem.

[Two_Sheds]

You do have to be a bit careful with citrus peel (and onion too) as they're very acidic

That's in a wormery, they're fine in a normal compost heap. The wax on citrus peels just makes them take a bit longer to break down.

http://www.allotments-uk.com/forum/t...?TOPIC_ID=7285

[Madasafish]

We put all citrus fruit remnants in wormery.. the worms survive... and onions.. and garlic..

Worms will eat anything - eventually.. including tea bags

Banana skins are a bonus...

[green thing]

for safe storage of you bananas to prevent slips and falls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mggl7cC8iys