Four ways you can use your kitchen scraps to help your plants grow

The Sun

05-06-2025

DON'T bin you kitchen scraps – use them to get your garden blooming.
From tea leaves to egg shells, your waste items can give your plants a boost. Here's how . . .
BANANA PEEL: Skin from bananas can be give plants a natural potassium boost which helps when flowers are forming, according to David Denyer, from eflorist.co.uk.
He said: 'Bake your banana peels at a low temperature for a few hours, then either blend or grind them into a fine powder.
'Mix the powder into your soil to provide a slow, steady release of nutrients that can really make a difference to plants such as dahlias, calendula or cosmos.'
EGGSHELLS: You can support repeat bloomers such as petunias and geraniums with old eggshells.
Grind them into a fine powder and soak in vinegar for 24 hours, says David.
Once the solution has cooled, you can pour it around the base of your flowering plants.
RINSE WATER: When washing dried pulses such as lentils and chickpeas, save the water rather than pouring it down the drain.
Then use it to tip on plants to give soil a gentle drink.
David says: 'It contains natural starches and minerals from the legumes, which feed the helpful microbes in your soil.
"These help unlock nutrients like phosphorus and potassium that plants need to stay healthy and flower well.'
TEA LEAVES: Acid-loving plants such as roses, hydrangeas and azaleas will appreciate used tea leaves for a health boost.
They contain small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which lightly lower the soil pH.
This makes it easier for certain plants to absorb nutrients that help deepen petal colour.
David adds: 'Sprinkle the damp tea leaves directly on to the soil around your plants and gently water them in.
"Just make sure there's no milk or sugar, as that can attract pests or lead to mould in your soil.'
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