Bananas for Orchids?
Last week, I heard an "Orchid Expert" say that orchids should/could be fed once a week with banana skins. Blend an inch of banana skin with 2 cupfuls of water and pour over their roots.
Could that possibly be right? I've never heard of this home-made Orchid fertilizer before
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther King0
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BANANAS ARE RICH IN POTASSIUM BUT YOU MIGHT BE BETTER JUST GIVING YOUR ORCHIDS SOME PLANT FOOD.
If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
I have never given my orchids banana skins, and have had some success with them flowering a second and even third time. I would be inclined to agree with pansyface, although if you want to go through the process of blending the skins,
your clematis may well reward you with a multitude of flowers.
Pansyface, thank you for your comment. In fact, the label that came with the plant stated a small amount of diluted liquid fertilizer should be given during the flowering period. I have done that for all of the 4 years I've had it and the plant has flowered well. This year, it has actually 2 stems flowering simultaneously, so I thought I was, probably, treating it well until I heard that "expert" and his banana ideas!
GD, are you suggesting the banana application would really help a clematis? If that's so, I shall certainly try it! I eat a fair amount, as their potasium helps lower blood pressure, so now instead of composting their skins I will feed them to my clematis!
Freddies Dad, I do "hose" them down once a week too, exactly as I saw it done on Gardeners' World once, and remove their spent flowers.
Yes, mine is a Phalaenopsis too, Philippa, though I do love those speckled Cymbidiums!
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther KingClematis - I don't know why that popped into my comment - it meant to read orchid! If your orchids have been thriving with your care routine then I wouldn't bother to change it - experts come in all shapes and sizes - but unless they have walked the walk they have no hands on experience.
I feed my roses with banana skins. I don’t take the time to blend them, just chop up roughly with my veg knife and dig in around the root of the plant.
Interestingly, a neighbour of mine heard a professional gardener say that eggshells are good for bananas too!
I'll continue feeding mine with just a drop of diluted liquid fertilizer when it's blooming, which is right now.
I have a dream that my.. children.. one day.. will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
Martin Luther KingYour orchid seems very well looked after to me and, I'm sure, it thinks bananas are for those who have mouths! As for egg shells, only when it becomes attacked by slugs and snails, perhaps!
Banana skins and egg shells for orchids....
I must try it sometime ??