Hydrangeas and roses are pretty much low maintenance, but one thing that can give them a boost is fertiliser.
While a range of hydrangea and rose-specific fertilisers is on the market, gardeners can also go down the homemade route.
Having used one kitchen scrap item on their hydrangeas and roses for two weeks, one gardener shared her “amazing” results on social media.
Sharing photos of her hydrangeas and roses in bloom on the Loving Your Garden Facebook page, Sarah Alton wrote: “The top two photos are my hydrangeas and roses before I’ve used banana water for two weeks just once a week only.
“They seem to have really bloomed and are much bigger and healthier. I definitely recommend it.”
“I won’t lie I never used to feed my plants anything in the past but I’m definitely noticing the difference in how healthy they all look now, especially my hydrangeas.”
Banana or banana peel water is liquid compost or is known as compost tea made from cut peels.
It contains essential nutrients for plant growth, like magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium and the amount of nutrients infused into water is very unlikely to cause fertiliser overdose.
One of the most common ways to make banana peel water is to chop up the skins and place them in water for two to three days.
Once the banana pieces are soft enough, boil them for 30 to 45 minutes to break down the stronger fibres.
Strain the liquid and allow it to cool before using. Finish off by diluting the liquid with five parts of fresh water.
You can water your roses and hydrangeas with banana peel water fertiliser once a week.
However, if your plants need a drink more often in the summer, only use banana water once a week.
As well as giving hydrangeas and roses a boost, banana water can also be used on your orchids and peace lilies to encourage flowering.
However, gardeners should be aware that it won’t be a total replacement for fertiliser across the board.
