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Home / Lifestyle

Aussie blogger's genius hack to bring dying plants back to life

news.com.au
20 Jul, 2020 11:52 PM3 mins to read

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An Aussie woman's 'genius' hack is great news for plant lovers. Photo / 123rf

An Aussie woman's 'genius' hack is great news for plant lovers. Photo / 123rf

It's hard watching your plant die, especially knowing you have tried all you can to keep it from withering away.

But it doesn't have to end that way and you don't need to feel like a failure because an Aussie woman has shared her very simple and cheap solution to reviving a dying plant.

Taking to her popular Facebook group, The Pantry Mama, blogger Kate Freebairn revealed all you need is the skin of a banana and a jug of water to see your indoor plant leap back to life.

"Here's an easy way to give them a boost," she began the post.

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"Pop a banana skin in a jar of water. Leave for 24 hours and then feed water to your plants.

"My plants are so lush and green (as a result)."

She recommends putting the banana skin in the compost.

Banana peels contain nutrients and act as a natural fertiliser for plants, especially roses, which is why the trick works.

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The phosphorus in banana also reportedly helps with good root and shoot growth.

Her handy tip has garnered hundreds of comments from thankful plant owners who were also keen to know how often they should be using the banana as a fertiliser – to which Freebairn suggested "every few weeks".

She revealed that banana peel is the key to bringing plants back to life. Photo / Supplied
She revealed that banana peel is the key to bringing plants back to life. Photo / Supplied

"I have over 50 plants and so I just make a batch every time someone eats a banana, and then pop the water into whichever plant needs a drink," she said.

One woman in the group added she also uses the peel to wipe dust off indoor plant leaves.

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"We occasionally throw them on the stag horn outside! My folks would put into soil around the rose bushes too. So good!" she said.

Another suggestion is to kickstart the fertilisation with new plants by laying banana peels at the bottom of the hole you created in the potting soil as you add the plant to the pot.

Last year, a woman also left internet users stunned when she revealed how Epsom salts acts as a supercharged solution in bringing plants back to life.

"A few inches of water in the bath with Epsom salts and I give the leaves a shower to get dust etc off and keep it happy," she wrote in the Facebook group Mums Who Garden.

"I have to use them (Epsom salts) myself and it was always sold out because gardeners would use it on their plants; that's what gave me the idea."

She explained that she would add a "handful or two" to water and if plants were looking extra dehydrated to leave these to soak overnight in the solution.

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Epsom salts are rich in magnesium sulfate, which increases chlorophyll production, while warm water will help to kill pests in the soil, such as aphids and mites.

Other natural plant fertilisers that work include soaking seaweed and weeds in water, before pouring the solution over your plants.

Epsom salts – actually magnesium sulfate – helps seeds germinate, makes plants grow bushier, produces more flowers, increases chlorophyll production and deters pests, such as slugs and voles, according to the Epsom Salt Council's site.

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