15 March 2024 , 15:39
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These common kitchen scraps can make your peace lilies look better than ever.
Peace lilies are vibrant flowers that have the potential to produce beautiful blooms, but they need certain nutrients to really thrive during their growing season. And according to one gardening expert, there's an easy way you can give your plants these much-needed nutrients simply by using items from your kitchen.
What's more, the items you need are things you would otherwise throw away, so you don't need to spend money on anything you won't use, and you still get to enjoy your favourite foods - with the added benefit of feeding your plants at the same time.
Ame Rodríguez, a gardening expert from the house plant store Be.Green, explained you can make homemade fertilisers using some common household items, which will improve the growth of your peace lilies. Growing season for the plants begins in spring and continues into the summer months, so now is the time to think about using one of these tricks.
The expert said: "From time to time it is essential to add some fertiliser to the substrate of our plants, especially when it is in pots, to complement the amount of nutrients available. This improves the fertility and life of the plant. Homemade fertilisers tend to be very gentle on plants, so you can apply them a little more freely. I'm sure your plants will thank you and get even more beautiful."
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Banana peel
If you enjoy a banana to kickstart your morning, why not let your plants have a nutritious breakfast too? Instead of throwing away your banana peels, you can make them into a fertiliser that will give your peace lily the potassium it needs to thrive. Banana peels can either be added to the soil directly, or you can boil the peel in a pot of water for 15 minutes, before allowing the liquid to cool and using it to water your plants.
Ame explained: "Bananas are rich in potassium and their peel is brimming with this nutrient that your plant needs to photosynthesise effectively and to build resistance to pests."
Eggshells
Another common breakfast item is the humble fried egg, and while you might be tempted to throw the shells in the bin, consider keeping them and using them to fertilise your peace lilies. Eggshells, like banana peels, are a source of potassium for plants, but they also contain calcium - which is important for plant growth - and magnesium.
Eggshells can prevent stunted growth and blossom end rot, which is caused by calcium deficiency and causes petals to become discoloured or wilted. To use eggshells as fertiliser, crush them into a fine powder using a food processor and then add the powder around the base of the plant.
"Eggshells are rich in calcium carbonate and other minerals, and can also serve as an insect repellent against snails and caterpillars," Ame said.
Coffee grounds
Finally, if you have a coffee machine and don't use instant coffee that dissolves in your cup, then you can use your leftover grounds on your plants to give them the nitrogen and phosphorus they need. Coffee grounds are best used when added to compost before being applied to soil.
Ame detailed: "Do not throw away the coffee grounds that are left over each morning, as it can serve as fertiliser for your plants. Coffee is great for acidophilic plants because it alters the pH of the soil slightly to favour its development, in addition to containing nitrogen and essential minerals."