
Orchids 'bloom like crazy' using item 'better than banana peels'
Orchids are beautiful houseplants, but they can be quite tricky to get to bloom. Fertilising your orchids can be a game changer - and one woman swears by using a kitchen item
Orchids are stunning yet high-maintenance houseplants that require extra care to encourage blooming. Using banana peel water to fertilise orchids might be the secret to getting them to bloom, as attested by numerous gardening enthusiasts on the Orchids Tips and Tricks Facebook page.
Sarah Turner shared her experiment using banana peel water on her orchids after reading rave reviews about the hack. She explained: "People here keep mentioning watering their orchids with banana peel water and how they flower after doing so." Sarah then continued: "Confirming I did so, and now I have many flower stems growing! Thanks team - this group is awesome."
Elaborating on the process, Sarah mentioned that she soaked a banana peel in water for a few days, used it for watering, then added a new peel and repeated the cycle before reverting to regular watering. She noticed spikes and blooms appearing weeks after using the banana peel water, reports the Express.
Several group members corroborated her findings, attesting to the effectiveness of banana peel water. Kathleen Vaida said: "I use banana water on all my flowering plants and some I didn't even know flower.
"All my orchids have new spikes and two other plants flowered that I didn't know about." Ila Peters posted: "I have used the banana peels and water method and my orchids soon had flower spikes."
Denise Sanders exclaimed: "I have gotten flower spikes and lots of new roots doing this process. Who knew?" Similarly, Amber Ivey shared her success with the peculiar fertilizer: "I use banana water on all of my houseplants. They love it."
However, Judie Varty suggested a different kitchen hack that could give your flowers an extra boost: "I have tried the banana water, but garlic water works better than banana peels.
"It really did the trick for me. I got so many roots after using it and all my dormant plants bloomed like crazy this year."
Garlic doesn't just deter pests with its scent; it's also a superstar at enriching soil thanks to its richness in phosphorus, which spurs generous growth, and potassium, ensuring your greenery's leaves and blossoms stay in tip-top condition.
To whip up this magic potion, simply peel a few cloves of garlic then mash, blitz or chop them up before plopping them into your preferred container full of water.
Allow this concoction to steep away from sunlight for a 24-hour minimum, or for even more potent results, wait two to three days before introducing it to your plants.
While garlic water can work wonders, remember moderation is key - spritz your plants with this homemade elixir no more than once or twice per week to avoid impeding their growth.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
June warning to gardeners cutting their hedge this month
Trimming the hedges is a job that comes with risks, warn experts If you're desperate to get the garden in shape this summer, there's one job you may want to hang off setting about just yet. Cutting your hedge this month could land you in legal bother and see you fined or even facing jail time. That's because hedge cutting is covered by environmental law. And if you cut your hedge and damage or destroy a bird's nest in the process you can end up being prosecuted which can lead to an 'unlimited' fine. As the law stands, farm hedgerows cannot legally be cut between the dates of April 1 and August 31. In extreme circumstances, farmers can plead their case to cut hedges if they have a reason but it would require them to be granted a licence allowing them to do this. And while it is actually legal to cut a domestic hedge, gardeners would have to be extra careful there are no birds nest in it before getting the hedge trimmer out. If you do damage or destroy a hedge while cutting, intentionally or unintentionally, you are breaking the law, reports the Express. That's because many birds are still nesting and feeding their young in June. Experts at Husqvana explained: 'Under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it's an offence to intentionally damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is being built or in use. That includes consciously using a hedge trimmer when there is a bird's nest in your hedge, and in the process of doing so, causing the nest to be damaged or destroyed." The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) backs this up. It says that a person is breaking that law if they intentionally damage a bird's nest while it's being used or built, and this applies to trimming hedges, saying: "The moment it becomes active, it is illegal to destroy it". Breaking this law could land you an unlimited fine and even six months in prison. The RSPB adds: "The consequences for the above, even in the event of harm to a single bird, nest or egg, is an unlimited fine, up to six months in jail or both. Suffice to say, it is certainly not a risk worth taking." They said: "Pieces of environmental legislation such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended are regulated by a combination of the police, Natural England / Natural Resources Wales / Scottish Natural Heritage (based on location), the Environment Agency, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), the local authorities, the Partnership of Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW), various public bodies, and relevant organisations based on the endangered species in question. "Once an action breaking the rules of the Act has been carried out, the offence will inevitably result in a police investigation. "The police will enforce part 1 of the Act, as it focuses on the fundamental wildlife protection over wildlife species and what exactly necessitates a breach of the rules. "In fact, dedicated departments of the police specialise in breaches of environmental and wildlife laws, such as the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and Wildlife Crime Officers (WCOs). "Any law relating to the environment and wildlife are taken just as seriously as any other piece of active legislation. "Even in respect of a breach of the Act involving a single animal or habitat, the person responsible would be liable to pay a potentially unlimited fine, spend up to six months in prison, or possibly even both."

Leader Live
5 hours ago
- Leader Live
Holywell: Father Dominic Cawdell set for final service
Father Dominic Cawdell, as well as wardens and church officers, are among those set to leave the Holywell and Greenfield Churches community in coming weeks. Father Cawdell sent a letter of resignation as vicar of those areas to the Bishop of St. Asaph. He announced his decision during Sunday Eucharist services at St Peter's, Holywell, and Holy Trinity, Greenfield. A post, now deleted, from the Holywell and Greenfield Churches Facebook page stated that the 'situation has become toxic for everyone involved' and 'there seems to be no clear end in sight'. Father Cawdell has decided to step down for 'the sake of his physical and mental wellbeing'. TOP STORIES TODAY It has now been confirmed that he will take his last Sunday Service on June 29. A statement from Holywell and Greenfield Churches read: "It was announced today that Father Dominic's Last Sunday Service as Vicar of Holywell will be 11am on 29th June in St Peter's Church - followed by a Bring and Share Lunch." News of the vicar's departure has been met with disappointment from the community. Many people have described him as a 'wonderful man' and a number of fundraisers have also been set up to support him upon his departure. A spokesperson for the Diocese of St Asaph previously said: 'The Bishop and his senior staff have been engaged with a challenging and sensitive situation in the churches in Holywell and the Estuary and Mountain Mission Area for some time. "They continue to be committed to resolving the issues, with the wellbeing of all involved being the paramount concern. For that reason, it would be inappropriate to comment publicly on any details.'


Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years
A body was discovered in the tunnels FROZEN IN TIME 'Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years A EERIE maze of tunnels left to rot under a council estate has been likened to a "portal to a lost world". They are buried deep beneath a quiet Greater Manchester housing estate, the 1,332-yard tunnel was closed over 60 years ago. 5 The tunnels run under a council estate in Manchester Credit: Facebook 5 One of the refuge points where workers would stand as the train passed Credit: Facebook Known as Lydgate Tunnel, this Victorian-era passage runs between Grotton and Grasscroft in Saddleworth, and was once part of the infamous Delph Donkey line on the London and North Western Railway. Opening in 1856, the tunnel was hailed as a triumph of engineering. The West Yorkshire Advertiser called it 'firmly built' with 'scarcely any vibration' as trains thundered through. But its construction came at a cost. Just a year before opening, labourer Luke Crossby, 31, tragically plunged to his death down an 85-yard shaft. In 1855, the Manchester Courier described how he 'missed the tub' and fell headfirst. His body was found 'much shattered' and the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. For nearly a century, the tunnel echoed with the sound of steam engines, until the Delph Donkey line was axed in 1955, part of the controversial Beeching cuts that destroyed Britain's rail network. Freight trains rolled through for a few more years, but by 1964, Lydgate Tunnel was sealed off and left to the elements. Now, this creepy time capsule lies hidden beneath homes, fenced off from the public – but that hasn't stopped urban explorers from sneaking in and sharing spine-tingling photos online. Images posted to the Disused Railway Tunnels UK Facebook page show a haunting scene. Car graveyard with 300 classic vehicles abandoned in field goes up for sale – some can be driven straight from lot The tunnel's eastern entrance is bricked up, only accessible through a locked steel door or shuttered window. Despite six decades of abandonment, the brickwork inside is well-preserved. One explorer described it as 'a portal to another long-lost world', while another claimed mist 'hovered in layers… very eerie.' Comments flood in calling it 'spooky,' 'atmospheric,' and a 'forgotten gem.' Local residents shared memories of walking through the tunnel as children. One said: 'I was born just 30 yards from the Grotton end. "Walked it from the age of eight. The alcoves were there to shelter from oncoming trains.' Others slammed authorities for allowing such a 'stunning piece of Victorian craftsmanship' to fall into obscurity. 'All we had to do was maintain it, but instead we abandoned it,' wrote one user. Martin Zero, a content creator with a fascination with derelict buildings shared a video from the depths of the tunnels which has already been watched over 26,000 times. There are growing calls to bring Lydgate Tunnel back to life – not for trains, but for people. Martin pointed out the ventilation shafts and the refuges, which were where railway workers could hide for safety when a train passed through. Describing these refuges, Martin said: 'I think it's impressive. It's quite scary because when you look at that, you get the impression of what you're going through, what surrounds us, and what they've had to tunnel through to get here. 'You get the impression of what they were faced with when they were coming through the tunnel, just rock. I find it quite daunting, to be honest.' One YouTube user commented: 'I travelled on the Delph Donkey every day with my mum to Glodwick Road station in Oldham, where she worked. My dad also caught the train to Platts. "I was born in 1951, and on one occasion mice, bred in Delph for research, and dispatched by the Delph Donkey, escaped from their cages, and caused chaos amongst the passengers.' 5 It has become a hot spot for urban explorers Credit: Facebook 5 A body was discovered soon after the tunnels opened Credit: Facebook