Keeping houseplants alive is no easy feat. It can be frustrating to watch your beloved houseplants die, especially if you’ve spent time and effort looking after them.
There’s some good news though as one savvy mum has revealed how to revive a dying plant — and all you need is some water and an old banana peel.
Australian blogger Kate Freebairn, who runs the Facebook page ‘The Pantry Mama’, says you can easily give your indoor plants a boost by popping the leftover banana peel into a jar of water and leaving for 24 hours. Then feed the banana infused water to your plants. The reason why the trick works is that banana peels contain nutrients like potassium and calcium that are essential for healthy potted plants.
“Hands up if you love indoor plants?” she captioned the post.
“Here’s an easy way to give them a boost! Pop a banana skin in a jar of water. Leave for 24 hours and then feed water to your plants (skin can go in the compost). My plants are so lush and green.”
When asked how often you should do this, the mum replied with: “Every few weeks is okay. I have over 50 plants so I just make a batch every time someone eats a banana and then I pop the water into whichever plant needs a drink.”
The group’s other followers praised the mum for her nifty tip, with one person commenting: “Going to give this a try.” Another added they also use the banana peel to wipe the dust off indoor plants, saying: “Love this! I also use the peel to wipe the dust off indoor plant leaves.” While a third wrote: “Thanks for the tip.”
While revitalising wilting plants is a desired pursuit for green thumbs, for those drawn to the idea of cultivating herbs at home, the struggle of keeping them alive can often prove baffling also.
Fear not, fellow gardeners, for Joe, the genius behind @joesgarden.official on Instagram, has emerged as the green thumb saviour with hacks to ensure your herb garden flourishes effortlessly.
“I am showing you how to keep small potted plants, especially supermarket herbs alive. I’m pretty sure we have all bought fresh herbs from the supermarket, only for them to die a few weeks later,” he began.
“This might make you think you are doing something wrong, but often it has nothing to do with you, but much rather, it’s to do with how they are sold.
“A lot of plants bought at garden centres, nurseries and supermarkets are often grown and sold in tiny pots with bad quality compost, but more importantly there is another massive issue.
“They often sow multiple plants in one small pot, meaning they are fighting for nutrients, moisture and light. Instead I recommend removing from this tiny pot and spent soil and then gently separating the plants and repotting in their own pot. Not only will this help your plant survive, you will also end up with bonus free plants!”
The straightforward gardening advice resonated with green thumbs looking for practical solutions to keep their herb garden thriving.