Should You Make Banana Water for Your Plants? We Asked Experts

Many people use banana water in hopes of giving their plants extra nutrients. The idea is simple enough—soak banana peels in water to extract nutrients and then pour the water into your plants as a kind of fertilizer. This method is thought to benefit plants by taking in the nutrients in the banana peels, such as potassium and vitamin C. But does this work? We spoke to experts who explained what banana water is, whether it enhances plants, plus what to consider using instead.

What Is Banana Water?

Banana water is water steeped with banana peels to create a liquid plant fertilizer. It's similar to compost tea, though without the actual compost process. It involves soaking cut-up banana peels in water for two or three days and then straining the liquid from the peels.

Does Banana Water Work?

Soaking banana peels in water may not release as many nutrients as you might think to benefit plants. Bananas are high in potassium, and humans can benefit from eating them directly because we digest bananas and absorb the elements that way. But for plants to benefit from organic material, it needs to be decomposed to a fine enough degree by another organism before it's soluble enough for the roots to take up.

How Nutrients Are Released

"If you mix banana peels with water and wait for a few [days], very few nutrients will be released because microorganisms' decomposition takes time," says Luke Gatiboni, extension soil fertility specialist and associate professor at the North Carolina State University. "You would need to wait until that material is 'rotten,' so the nutrients will be released. The soil microorganisms are the key to this process. These microorganisms will decompose the organic carbon chains and release the nutrients."

More Research Needed About Banana Water

There's scant research about the benefits of banana water for plants. "The missing information is that I haven’t seen any studies that tell us what the components of banana water are," says Brooke Edmunds, professor of practice and horticulturist at Oregon State University Extension.

Edmunds poses questions that still need answers about banana water for plants. "Does the potassium leach from the peels into the water? Does it matter how old the banana is (green, yellow with some spots, fully brown)? What else is leaching into the water? If anything leaches into the water, is it something that your plant needs? Is the plant potassium-deficient, and does the banana water provide enough potassium? It’s a big unknown," she says.

What to Use Instead of Banana Water

There are a few things you can use instead of banana water if you want to give your plants a healthy boost.

Compost Your Banana Peels

Quite simply, composting your banana peels will have a more direct benefit on your plants than making banana water. Because bananas are made of organic materials, let microorganisms and detritus eaters (like red wiggler composting worms) do their job. "During composting, at least part of the organic compounds will be broken down by the microorganisms, releasing nutrients that will be readily available for plants," says Gatiboni. Half-broken-down banana peels mixed in with your soil are also likely to get broken down later by the same microorganisms, he adds.

"In short, banana peels are a good source of nutrients for plants, but the recommendation would be to compost them before applying them to the soil as a source of nutrients," says Gatiboni.

Make Compost Tea

If you like the idea of liquid fertilizer, try making compost tea. Here, you take finished compost and steep it in water to extract the compost's nutrients and microorganisms.

Use Commercial Fertilizers

You can also use standard, commercial fertilizers. Many fertilizers on the market, both liquid and solid plant food, can aid in the growth of your house plants.