Houseplants will ‘bloom for years' thanks to common item in your food bin – and peace lilies find it ‘so tasty'
There's nothing worse than someone giving you a houseplant and just days later, it's looking worse for wear.
3
3
But now, luckily for you, we've found a handy hack that will ensure your plants bloom for years.
And fear not, you won't have to nip out and splash the cash on pricey fertiliser - in fact, the secret may even be in your food bin.
Peace lilies in particular are said to find this trick 'so tasty', so if you want to ensure repeat blooming, this homemade feed is one you won't want to miss.
When it comes to caring for peace lilies, it is important to only feed them once a month during the growing season, which is spring and summer.
It turns out that overfeeding can be harmful, so it's important to avoid excess fertiliser.
And now, gardening enthusiasts have shared a super simple homemade fertiliser - and the key ingredient is banana peels.
Taking to the Gardening Hints and Tips Facebook page, an anonymous user explained: 'In the summer, I feed my houseplants with a homemade banana soak.
'My peace lily loves it, just thought I'd share it in case anyone is struggling.
'I've always struggled to get my peace lilies looking good, but bananas make them bloom for years.'
The gardening guru then added: 'Once I've eaten a banana or given it to my dog, I'll chop the peel and soak it in some warm water.
Gardening hacks to grow fruit from your weekly shop
'After a few days, pour sparingly on your plants, so tasty for them.'
The social media post attracted numerous comments from other houseplant enthusiasts, who also praised the effective banana peel trick.
*If you click a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue
Nick Grey, Gtech Inventor and CEO shared the tasks to crack on with as Spring arrives.
1. Clean your garden
Make sure to clear away all leaves, soil and plant debris from your patios and flower beds; this creates a healthier environment for new growth, especially as we get into the summer months. Gtech's Garden Safety Kit includes durable gardening gloves and safety glasses; perfect for comfortability whilst tackling those outdoor tasks.
2. Weeding
Early Spring is the best time to tackle weeds; if you can introduce some regular weeding into your routine, you can guarantee a tidy garden all year round.
3. Hedge maintenance
Spring is the ideal time to tidy up overgrown hedges and shrubs, as regular trimming ensures healthy growth and reduces pest issues. Using a tool like the Gtech Lightweight Hedge Trimmer can help to keep your greenery looking sharp and neat.
4. Composting
Starting a compost heap this spring is a pro-active, cost-effective way to harness nutritious soil for your plants and recycle organic waste that will benefit the overall health of your greenery and foliage.
5. Look after your lawn
Lawn care is hugely important in assuring your garden stays looking beautiful. Make sure to rake away any excess leaves and trim your grass routinely.
One user beamed: 'Heard lots about this, so I gave it a go. I only use it now and again and then a proper feed in between, but it's fantastic.'
Whilst a second chimed in: 'All houseplants love this, not just peace lilies, but be careful not to over water.'
According to houseplant enthusiasts, soaking banana peels in water releases nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, which are beneficial for many houseplants, but peace lilies in particular.
It is crucial to dilute the banana water with water to make it last longer and ensure it doesn't overwhelm the plant.
8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden
Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots.
Tricyrtis
A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'.
Penstemon
I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes.
Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata'
With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it
will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade.
Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue'
A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your
garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period.
Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem'
If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers.
Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange'
A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days.
Rosa 'Noisette Carnee'
A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November.
Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel'
I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.
Not only this, but banana peels can also be used to fertilise outdoor plants, including tomatoes, bell peppers, roses and hydrangeas.
If planting a new plant, you should simply scatter some banana peels beneath the compost, or place them around the top of the soil.
Not only will this be beneficial to your plants, but it can also help to deter pests such as slugs, who hate rough surfaces.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
39 minutes ago
- The Independent
A Mississippi monkey sanctuary helps veterans with PTSD find peace
In the embrace of a cheerfully chittering spider monkey named Louie, an Army veteran who grappled for decades with post-traumatic stress disorder says he finally feels at peace. 'Being out here has brought a lot of faith back to me,' said John Richard. 'There's no feeling like it.' The bond began last fall when Richard was helping two married veterans set up the Gulf Coast Primate Sanctuary, volunteering his time to build the enclosure that's now Louie's home in rural southeast Mississippi. During a recent visit, Louie quickly scampered up Richard's body, wrapping his arms and tail around him in a sort of hug. Richard, in turn, placed his hand on the primate's back and whispered sweetly until Louie disentangled himself and swung away. 'He's making his little sounds in my ear, and you know, he's always telling you, 'Oh, I love you,'' Richard said. ''I know you're OK. I know you're not going to hurt me.'' Richard said his connection with Louie helped more than any other PTSD treatment he received since being diagnosed more than 20 years ago. It's a similar story for the sanctuary's founder, April Stewart, an Air Force veteran who said she developed PTSD as a result of military sexual trauma. 'It was destroying my life. It was like a cancer,' she said. 'It was a trauma that was never properly healed.' Stewart's love of animals was a way to cope. She didn't necessarily set out to create a place of healing for veterans with PTSD, but that's what the sanctuary has become for some volunteers. 'By helping the primates learning to trust, we're also reteaching ourselves how to trust, and we're giving ourselves grace with people,' she said. Her 15-acre property, nestled amid woods and farmland, is filled with rescue dogs, two rather noisy geese and a black cat. It's also now home to three spider monkeys, two squirrel monkeys and two kinkajous, a tropical mammal that is closely related to raccoons. The sanctuary in the town of Perkinston, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) due north of the Gulf coast, includes three large enclosures for the different species. Each has a smaller, air-conditioned area and a large fenced-in outdoor zone, where the primates swing from platforms and lounge in the sun. Checking on the animals — changing their blankets, bringing food and water — is one of the first and last things Stewart does each day. However, she can't do it alone. She relies on a group of volunteers for help, including several other veterans, and hopes to open the sanctuary to the public next summer for guided educational tours. Stewart and her husband, also a veteran, decided to open the sanctuary in October after first rescuing and rehoming monkeys. With the help of two exotic-animal veterinarians, they formed a foundation that governs the sanctuary — which she said is the only primate sanctuary in Mississippi licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — and ensures the animals will be cared for even when the Stewarts are no longer able to run it themselves. All the animals were once somebody's pet, but their owners eventually couldn't take care of them. Stewart stressed that primates do not make good or easy pets. They need lots of space and socialization, which is often difficult for families to provide. The sanctuary's goal is to provide as natural a habitat as possible for the animals, Stewart said, and bring them together with their own species. 'This is their family,' she said.
Times
5 hours ago
- Times
Mankeeping — are you your husband's BFF, therapist and PA?
A re you 'mankeeping'? If you're a woman in a heterosexual relationship who your partner (lovingly) calls their whole world, you might be. The term was coined by Angelica Puzio Ferrara, a social psychologist at Stanford University who researches male friendship, in a 2024 paper studying the role of primary emotional caregiver — therapist, confidante, social co-ordinator — that some women end up taking on in heterosexual relationships. 'My partner and I don't have kids but sometimes helping him understand, let alone articulate, his emotions feels like toddler training,' a female friend tells me. 'I organise or instigate almost every non-football-orientated social event, so he sees far more of my friends than his. And while I have many outlets for moaning, negativity and problems, he only has the one — and it's me!'
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My lover wants to be with me but she's terrified of how her domineering and abusive husband will react
DEAR DEIDRE: EVEN though my married lover wants to be with me full time, she is terrified about how her husband will react if she leaves him. He is a violent bully. Her husband is domineering and abusive. He treats her and her eight-year-old son like dirt. He controls everything. She has given up seeing her friends, he constantly checks her phone and she has lost contact with all of her family. I am 33, she is 31 and I can't tell you how upset I get when she tells me about how he shouts, shoves and lashes out at her. She works for my sister's catering business and from the moment I was introduced to her I liked her. We'd always spend our lunchtime together and I would feel so excited about seeing her. Recently I bought her a small gift when I went on holiday. I was taken aback when she dissolved into tears explaining it was the loveliest thing a man had done for her. We ended up kissing and she started coming around to my house whenever she could. She can't ever stay for long enough but we have the most wonderful sex. My sister warned me to stay away because her husband has a bad reputation, she said he was capable of anything, but I refused to listen, and the affair has continued. I am desperate for my lover to leave this awful man. While she wants to be with me too, she is so frightened that he will become physically violent towards her. Dear Deidre After Dark- Understanding open relationships I worry I am being weak because I haven't stood up to him, even though I know that her safety has to come first DEIDRE SAYS: Stay away from him. Getting involved will only create more problems and place your lover in danger. She needs to make leaving him a priority for herself and her son, but it has to come from her. It's so damaging for her son to see his mum being treated so badly. Stress this to her and suggest she talks to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline ( 0800 2000 247). While you can be there to support her, she has a better chance of leaving safely if she doesn't rush straight into a relationship with you. Even a marriage she is desperate to be out of is a loss and she'll need to adjust before she can begin to contemplate a future with you. Get in touch with Deidre Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays. Send an email to deardeidre@ You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page. PARTNER PREFERS HIMSELF DEAR DEIDRE: MY boyfriend has admitted he pleasures himself three or four times a week, and now I feel he doesn't fancy me as we rarely have sex. He blames his low sex drive on being stressed but he has always been like this. I'm 35 and he's 36. We've been together for eight months. Everything else in our relationship is great. We only see each other on weekends, which could be part of the problem. We're both so busy with our jobs, fitness and friends. For example, I go to the gym twice a week and go out with my girlfriends regularly. My boyfriend insists his low sex drive is because of his new job. It's very stressful but he's no different to how he was when I first met him. Now I realise he masturbates so much, I'm convinced he doesn't fancy me, rather than there being a problem with his sex drive. DEIDRE SAYS: There's not much wrong with his sex drive. It sounds like he has got into the habit of finding sexual satisfaction alone, which is lazy and selfish. He needs to face up to what is happening rather than using stress as an excuse. Tell him how damaging his behaviour is to your relationship. Suggest setting aside an evening together each week for chat, kisses and cuddles with no pressure to have full sex, even though that could be the likely result. My support pack Different Sex Drives will help. I GHOSTED HER AFTER PERIOD SEX DEAR DEIDRE: A FRIEND pointed out that I had blood on my hands and face when I returned home after spending the night with an amazing girl. I'm mortified. I also had it down below too. I am a 20-year-old guy, and she is 19. We really fancied each other and after dancing together for hours headed back to her flat where, after a lot of kissing, we ended up having amazing sex. The lights were really dim so I didn't notice anything and after sex I stayed the night but left first thing without waking her up as I had work. As soon as I got home my friend told me about the blood. I am so embarrassed. I know a period is such a natural thing but I am way too embarrassed to contact her. I have heard nothing from her either. DEIDRE SAYS: She may be just as embarrassed as you or upset that you left without a word. Why not send her a message? Say you had an amazing time with her and that you would like to see her again. As you say, periods are completely natural and if you act in a mature way, she's more likely to feel at ease. Some people find period sex uncomfortable because it's messy, but you don't have to go into details about that night. It will be easier to say something in passing when you are together face-to-face. DREAM TO WED BUT BOYFRIEND'S SO CRUEL TO ME DEAR DEIDRE: ALL I want is to get married and have a family. I constantly fantasise about my boyfriend proposing but deep down I know he won't – ever. Years ago, I was told that I would have difficulty getting pregnant. I am 32 and my boyfriend is 36. We've been together for almost three years. He says he doesn't want to marry or have children. Recently, he has twice tried to break up with me. I'm sure it's because I have gained weight – something I am not proud of – but I am dieting and have started running and going to the gym. He knows I am making an effort but he also says that I don't keep the house as tidy as he'd like. I work full-time and often do overtime so there isn't a lot of time for housework. Most days I only have enough energy to come home, eat and get a decent night's sleep. I feel as though I walk on eggshells around him and it is beginning to get me down. A few weeks ago, I met a man at work who is so kind and makes me feel lovely. I know it is early days, and we are still getting to know each other, but ultimately I am going to have to choose. Which way should I go? DEIDRE SAYS: After three years together, it is only natural you are thinking about the future, but marriage and children are not the main issue here. To be blunt, he is being cruel. These are not the actions of a loving and respectful partner. There are serious issues that need to be discussed honestly if you're going to build a future. Let him know how his behaviour leaves you feeling, but don't stay in a relationship where you're permanently on edge. Do decide what you really want before involving yourself with another man.
