Using banana as a fertilizer for orchids (California, USA)

Banana can be processed as an effective homemade fertilizer for orchids. Banana helps the plant grow well because it has many essential nutrients for orchids. Those include vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients. Here are instructions of how to make different types of banana fertilizers for orchids:

1/ How to make banana fertilizer for orchids:
- Different types/species of bananas can be used to make fertilizer. Banana peel can be kept intact.
- Use 100 grams of minced bananas to cook with 1 liter of clean water.
- Boil this banana mixture.
- Cook banana mixture until it is soft; add 1 liter of water to make up for the loss of water during the cooking process.
- Use a cloth to filter water and separate banana residue. Banana residue will be used to fertilize orchids. The water portion can be used immediately or poured into a bottle and kept cold for gradual use.

2/ How to mix banana solutions to water orchids
- 1 liter of banana and water mixture can be added with 4 liters of clean water to supplement nutrients to orchids.
- 1 liter of banana and water mixture can be added with 1 gram of NPK 20.20.10 fertilizer and 4 liters of clean water. This solution is used to stimulate plants to grow fast.
- 1 liter of banana and water mixture added with 10 grams of Trichoderma biofungicides and 4 liters of clean water can be used to stimulate rooting and prevent diseases in orchids.
- How to use banana solutions: Spray them evenly on leaves, stems, media and roots of orchids.
- Dosage: use solution once every 15-20 days.
- To preserve banana solutions, keep them in bottles and jars with tight lids; avoid direct sunlight. Solutions should be stored in cool environment. When they are used, keep solutions in room temperature first before applying to orchids.

3/ How to process banana into dry fertilizer for orchids
- Use 100 grams of minced bananas to cook with 1 liter of clean water, then mix with 2 kilograms of manure (e.g.: cow dung, vermicompost) treated with Trichoderma biofungicides.
- Apply mixed fertilizer directly to orchid roots. This type of dry fertilizer can also be put into net bags and attached them to orchid media.

Lynn LV. Viet Linh © November 2019. California, USA.