Shea Simmons
If you’re a seasoned gardener, you’re familiar with the pesky aphid. These little bugs suck the nutrient-rich sap from your plants causing them to yellow and brown, and getting rid of them can prove difficult. Turns out, though, that a bit of food waste can help.
You can get rid of and prevent aphids using a banana peel.
Thanks to their pungent smell, a banana peel can help to repel aphids which have a strong aversion to scent. Using them is incredibly simple. You’ll take the peel you’re about to throw away and cut it up into squares. Then, bury the pieces one to two inches deep in the soil around the plants that are experiencing the aphid invasion. That’s it. Let them sit and absorb into the soil.
The peels, however, aren’t just good as a pest repellent. They also make great fertilizer. Banana peels add nutrients like potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and nitrogen to the plant’s soil as they begin to decompose. If you’re not a fan of bananas, orange peels actually have all of the same benefits, and you use them in the same manner.
If you’re concerned about your spring garden, you might want to stop tossing those banana peels and turn them into fertilizer instead.
