Banana peels in compost?

[cherishedtiger]

So I got a pretty good bin of compost going, never does me wrong. The other day while making a fruit salad for a get together I put all the apple peels and cores and other such fruit scraps into the bin! Including banana peels, of which I stood there asking myself and going back and forth can I put these in?? No... yes... no... I swear I read something about that... no.... yes... oh heck just throw them in... so I did. They are ok right? Or should I go banana peel fishing this evening???

Thanks!!!!!!!!

[Tilde]

I have no idea why not - but I wash them, along with any fruit I peel or don't peel, before opening and consuming. So if there is any residue I've at least washed it out a bit.

[rainbowgardener]

Absolutely, they are a good source of potassium in the compost. The only reason why not would be if you want to use it more directly. Some people put a banana peel in the planting hole with rose bushes, tomato transplant and other things that benefit from the potassiu.

[toxcrusadr]

In all my reading about compost I have never heard even a myth associated with banana peels.

[tomc]

I'm not going to ask you to defend a reason for not putting banana peels in compost, but am intregued why they should not be added to a compost.

FWIW I do add banana peels to my compost.

Most of the don't add, this or that go back to slowing how fast compost works, or concerns about vermin. I can't imagine either applies here.

Just wondering...

[cherishedtiger]

Awesome! I don't have to go compost diving! Can't quote anything saying not to, but wasn't sure so glad to hear this tho because we eat a lot of bananas here!
Thank you all!!

[cynthia_h]

Oh, yes, definitely put those banana peels into the compost. And, if you have vermicompost going, the little verms love the banana peels, too!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[toxcrusadr]

For most gardeners a $10 garden machete is a great and simple solution to the chopping problem.

It's true that most of the 'don't put this or that in' ideas that float around don't have a specific reason associated.

[cherishedtiger]

Yeah I put in the corn stalks last year... after about 6 months of them sitting there I finally pulled out what hadn't composted yet...
I am horrible for remembering to put things in the composter, so it usually just sits. I mowed and was all excited, except for when I realized 99% of my lawn was weed... didn't want that going in there. But got leaves, egg shells, fruit peels and whatever else tends to make it in there. Just trying to keep weed matter out! Once I harvest those pumpkins and the peppers finally go that will help to feed the monster!

Thanks for all your help, I think my compost bin has been one of my best purchases! My garden loves the yummy compost I create!

[rainbowgardener]

Why not put the weeds in the compost? My compost pile is full of weeds!

If you pull them before they go to seed, there's no problem. I don't have a problem with weeds from my compost anyway, except volunteer squash and tomatoes, but if you wanted to be really careful you could just clip off any seed heads.

[toxcrusadr]

Yes, the weed itself is usually not a problem, only the seeds. Except in a few cases where roots are the culprit - mint and Bermuda grass come to mind.

[cherishedtiger]

Yup, mine is all Bermuda grass and other such ickys which would only thrive in compost...

But I have lots of other places in which to get things for compost. The front yard is good, especially when the lawn guys dump the clippings in the freshly empty garbage can since they come on garbage day and wont put it in the green waste bin... (where all the weeds are )

[Tilde]

So I've got half a can full of grass and weeds I was going to put out for community compistmg. I expect my barrel method is slow and cool so I didn't intend to add them.

I can just put them in a black bag (more likely black 5 gal for aesthetic reasons) and let them get hot a few weeks and compst them without them growing in the pile?

Yay?

[toxcrusadr]

Yes, you can do that. You can also use a bucket of water and let them soak until they are good and dead and slimy. Just watch out for mosquitos.

[Tilde]

Thanks again.

Drowning the darn things might be useful - depends on how much I have and my setup. What I do garden and compost wise needs to fit within the desired specifications of my house mates.

The "desired specifications" are somewhat subjective, but so long as the results are tidy and don't bring down the wrath of the neighborhood ogres, I have a freeish reign.

Might set up a weed and grass drowner once I get a potting table built.

[cherishedtiger]

All my weeds that I wasnt going to put into the composter, well they never made it to the green waste bin and are now quite dead in the yard... thinking I may just toss them into the compost... at this point I don't think they could do much harm....

[Runningtrails]

I compost all my banana peels at the base of my rose bushes. It's suppose to discourage aphids. They turn black soon and disappear shortly after getting tossed there.