Turn leftover Banana peels into a natural dried banana fertilizer to grow an abundance of fruit and vegetables.
My name is Holly and I am on a mission to create a self-sufficient edible garden in my suburban property. I am converting grass into thriving urban permaculture gardens.
It’s important to reduce the amount of organic matter going to landfills because when it does go to the landfill, it is piled up and starved of oxygen. This process is not conducive to breaking down our scraps and they end up producing methane gas, which is not good for our environment. That’s where composting and turning our scraps into natural fertilizers not only boosts the health and production of our gardens but is also better for our planet.
Watch how to make Dried Banana Peel Fertilizer
Which plants will benefit the most from banana peel fertilizer?
Banana peels have potassium which is an essential nutrient for promoting more flowers and fruit on plants. Prioritize your dried banana peel fertilizer on your flowering plants such as Pumpkin, squash, capsicum, and fruit trees. Promoting flowers will offer more chances of fruit!
Having potassium on hand can help when you have deficiencies in the soil. Potassium deficiency can show as leaves turning yellow one falling off especially the older leaves.
If you are growing your own bananas and you get to harvest the fruit, then you can use your peels to feed the plants and create your own fully self-sufficient gardening system!
You can also make a banana peel fertilizer by soaking the peels in water. I talk more about that on my video about 15 natural fertilizers so definitely check that out for more ways to turn your homegrown produce into fertilizers to grow more of your own food.
How to make dried banana peel fertilizer?
To make dried banana fertilizer take your banana peels and lay them out on a tray to dry. You want to keep them somewhere warm and dry until they turn black and crispy. Natural Sunlight is great and will take 1-2 days to dry depending on the temperatures. You could also use a dehydrator to remove the moisture.
Chop the peels up a little to help speed up the drying process. Remove the ends and compost them as these will take a lot longer to dry.
Then once they are completely dry and crumbly. Crush them up into a powder using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder/spice grinder.
Sprinkle a couple of TBSP around your fruit and veggie plants. It’s that easy! You can also add 2 TBSP to a jar of water and mix to pour around your plants.
Diversity is so important for creating a thriving and sustainable edible garden. Choosing edible or medicinal plants to use as companion planting can not only boost the health of your garden but also your own! Each plant type has a different root structure, leaf coverage, height, nutrient absorption, and nutrient excretion and attracts different insects and wildlife to the garden. The more diversity we have in plants, the more life we are encouraging both above the soil and below. Diversity also helps reduce severe deficiencies, as all the plants aren’t competing for the exact same nutrients.
Diversity and companion planting are closely related. Companion planting is generally two different plants that grow well together and have a mutually beneficial relationship. With a diverse garden, we want to build on those relationships and continue to add more and more.
Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for inspirational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.
Soil is the KEY to a healthy, successful, and thriving garden. If you want to grow healthy, nutrient-dense food, you need healthy nutrient nutrient-producing soil. Healthy soil is ALIVE with a web of beneficial interconnected relationships that support life. If you want a thriving, resilient garden, start with the soil. Healthy soil is the foundation of a productive and sustainable garden. Soil is a living, breathing ecosystem filled with microbes, fungi, organic matter, and nutrients that work together to feed your plants and protect them from disease and drought.
In this post, you’ll learn how to build and maintain nutrient-rich, living soil that supports long-term garden health. Whether you’re starting from scratch or improving existing beds, these regenerative techniques will help you reduce inputs, boost biodiversity, and grow stronger, more nutrient-dense food—all while supporting the planet.
Watch the live masterclass for more info
Why is Soil Health Important?
Healthy soil is going to feed and nourish your plants so they can grow strong and healthy. If the soil is not providing those nutrients, plants may become weak. Weak plants are more likely to be attacked by bugs and if they do get attacked by bugs, they are more likely to die. Whereas a healthy plant will be able to push on through and keep producing.
Healthy Plants – Healthy plants grow quicker and easier.
Bug Resistance – Healthy plants are less susceptible to bug infestations. Bugs tend to attack weaker plants and then the whole team piles on and you get diseases. So, having healthy strong plants will reduce the amount of loss and also, if your healthy plants do get some bugs, they will be strong enough to continue to produce.
Increased Harvests – Healthy soil is going to help you get better harvests. Your plants will be happy and healthy, and therefore, will produce a bigger and better harvest. Which of course, we want!
Less Disease – as per the bug-resistant – healthy strong plants will be less likely to get diseases. Diseases usually come at the end when the plant is already under stress. So, soil health can reduce the risk of that.
Promotes Soil Life – Getting the foundations right and building healthy soil, will be a snowball effect. Healthy soil will attract so many beneficial insects and microorganisms that will improve your soil further. Worms are fantastic for aerating the soil by tunneling. They also provide nutrients by eating plant matter to produce a by-product that can be easily absorbed by the plants. Healthy soil will have a hive of activity and produce nutrients to do all the work for you!
Better Nutrition – If we grow food in poor soil with no nutrients, how can we expect the food that plants produce to be extremely high in nutritional value? It’s just not going to happen. The better the soil health is, the more nutrients will be transferred into the food we eat.
Less Watering – Healthy soil will require less water. Fibre and plant matter in the soil will retain moisture. If the soil is dead and dry, water will run off it, or, just filter right through and your plants will need constant watering. So, healthy soil is also waterwise.
Abundance without Force – We want to create sustainable gardens that consistently produce food without having to force it. Poor soil will mean plants will grow slowly, get bugs and diseases and require more care and maintenance. We will constantly be having to feed them, water them, and fight off the bugs. It’s a tiring concept that is not sustainable long-term. This is what commercial soil looks like. It has been stripped and never replenished, so to get the crops they need to sell, they have to constantly feed with artificial food and spray bugs with pesticides. This will further kill of the living soil micro-organisms, so the next year, they will need to repeat and maybe even increase. Its a downward spiral. We on the other hand, will be caring for our soils and the plants will just grow themselves. Meaning, we can put in less and less work overtime, and receive more and more food. I know which way I would rather grow!
Where to Start to improve your Soil?
Ok, so we know why it is so important to build healthy soil, but where do we start?
Observe
Whether you have just moved into a new property or you are new to gardening, observing is key! Take a look around your gardens. Is there rubbish in the soil, are there buildings nearby, what would they be used for? Animals? Plants? What is growing in the area? This can be a good start to figuring out your soil health.
The other thing you will want to do is, have a little dig in the gardens. Dig down at least 30cm and observe what kind of soil you have. The top layer may be covered in mulch or grass, and then, the next inch or so will be the topsoil. This is the most fertile soil. Further down you will see more of your true soil. Is it sandy or is it clay-heavy? Observe, touch, and explore. Note this down as this will help you figure out what to do next.
Soil Testing
Professional tests for toxicity – If you find rubbish or anything that seems like it could have a toxic effect on your soil, it would be best to get it professionally tested. This is very important if you want to grow food directly in the soil.
Jar test for soil structure – There are also two easy tests you can do at home to find out the structure and pH of your soil. You can test your soil structure by placing a small soil sample (1/2 cup) in a jar of water. Give it a shake, and allow it to sit for a day. Layers will start to appear and you will be able to see the sand, clay, and silt levels.
If you have clay-heavy soil water will get clogged and not free drain. However, if you have really sandy soils, the water will disappear through the gaps and not stay long enough to be absorbed by the plants. You can amend your soil by adding other materials to help balance out and rehabilitate your soil structure. But first, you need to understand what you are working with.
pH test – The pH test will help you work out where your base soil is. pH is important because it affects the root activity and the absorption of nutrients from the soil. Most plants like to grow around pH neutral 6-7 so it is best to try and get the majority of your gardens to a neutral level. Some plants do prefer it a little more alkaline or acidic. Blueberries for example, like more acidic soil. It is a good idea to test your soil if you have never grown in it before or you have just purchased new soil. A pH test kit can be found at your local garden centres or Bunnings. To test your soil, just dig down 10-15cm for veggie gardens and if you’re testing soil for deeper root plants like fruit trees, take a sample from 25-30cm down. Then you place the indicator dye and Barium powder from the kit and match the indications to the colour chart provided.
Now that you have an understanding of what you’re working with, we want to create our baseline foundations. This is where we prep our gardens.
Remove rubbish and rubble.
Add compost – if you don’t do anything else, this is the most important takeaway. Compost is the best thing to add to your soil no matter where it is are at. Good compost supplies organic matter for soil building, fertilizer to feed plants, and most importantly, it’s packed with living soil mirco-organisms that kickstart biological activity. It adds fresh, healthy microbes that will start to digest the nutrients present in the soil and feed your plants. Compost is the key ingredient for building and maintaining healthy soil. If you’ve just moved to a new garden and want productivity, then compost will rapidly make your soils fertile.
Cover – you want to protect all that good soil and hard work you have just done. We will dive in a little deeper next about why covering and mulching is so important and the different ways to do that
How to Build Soil for a Sustainable Garden?
Now that we have our foundations sorted, it is so important that we continue to build soil on a regular basis. Below are some tips to add to your gardening routines, to help build layers of good soil. Helping your gardens to thrive for many years to come.
Compost – start composting at home and turning your food scraps, household recycling and greenwaste into healthy soil to feed your gardens. It is important that we continue to keep adding nutrients to our soil as the plants use it to grow. I like to add compost at the change of each season and top up my garden beds. If you want to learn more about composting click here to watch.
Chop & Drop – this is one of my favourite methods because it’s so easy. I don’t use this method on all of my gardens as it is more suited to fruit trees or areas where you don’t have a lot of little plants. I do this in my food forest style back fence garden. Everything that grows in that area gets returned directly to the soil. So when i prune trees or pull weeds, or cut plants, I just chop them up and leave them in the garden as mulch. This covers the soil and will break down and release nutrients to feed the plants. Eventually, over time, the layers of good, healthy soil will get thicker and thicker. Which is what we want! This method can also be used for paddocks or areas you don’t use often. Growing specific plants in an area where you want to use this method can be a great idea. Plants that hold nutrients in their leaves such as comfrey are great to add to the garden for this exact purpose. Then just give them a haircut and allow them to re-enter the soil.
Mulch– It is so important that we cover the soil. Protecting the soil from drying out or from excess rain washing away nutrients. Because, if soil gets too hot or dry, the plants will start to die, and so will the good bugs and micro-organisms in the soil. Then, once that happens, the soil is no longer supporting life, and it becomes dirt that will not grow anything. Cover your soil with a thick layer of mulch and this will start to break down and feed the soil. Basically, turning your whole garden into a living compost system! Always try to mimic nature. In nature, leaves fall to create a cover for the soil and then breakdown to produce rich, healthy soil for the young seeds to grow.
Cover crops – Cover crops can be grown to protect the soil during a down season and then cut to mulch and feed the soil. Cover crops are planted specifically to build and hold soil and to smother weeds. They range from long-growing perennials to short-term green manures but the aim is the same: a solid cover of plants. Their leaves will protect the soil from hammering rains and eventually cover the surface with nutritious, topsoil. Weeds can actually be more beneficial for your garden than bare soil. Weeds protect the soil and support soil health just as any other cover crop would.
Plant for diversity – Different plants have different root structures and depths. They also use and excrete different nutrients. It is important to grow a wide variety of plants together to access different layers and levels within the soil. There is so much going on under the soil with the relationships between the roots and the microorganisms. The more diversity we have in plants, the more life we are encouraging beneath the surface. Diversity also helps reduce severe deficiencies, as all the plants aren’t competing for the exact same nutrients.
Minimal disruptions – it is important to try to keep the digging of the soil to a minimum. Unless you need to amend drainage or plant something, try not to disrupt the soil. Add layers on top of layers and allow the soil microbiology to thrive.
Go organic – this one is quite self-explanatory but, we want to reduce any harmful sprays and unnecessary fertilizers. These can kill off our delicate microbes, which we are of course trying to grow and promote.
Natural fertilizers– It is beneficial to use natural fertilizers weak and often. Things like banana skin fertilizers are great for adding potassium to the soil for your fruiting plants. Weed tea and other teas made from breaking down plants in water, can also be a great way to recycle nutrients back into the soil.
Can I use any type of animal manure?
Herbivore animal manure is a great source of nutrients for growing food. This includes animals such as sheep, horses, cows, goats, rabbits, and chickens. It is best to choose composted animal manure rather than fresh off the paddock. This is because fresh grass seeds will still be viable and your garden may become overgrown with all sorts of weeds and grasses. This will end up causing you more trouble than it was worth.
Composting can help break down the seeds and leave you with weed-free nutrient-rich soil. The other reason it is better to choose composted manure rather than raw is that it can be very harsh on plant root systems. If you do not have the option for old or composted manure, then it is best to bury it on a bottom layer of the garden so the new young roots won’t dive straight into it. By being deeper under the soil the weed seeds will not get the light they need to grow so this can also help with the seed issues.
Composting
Composting is not only great for the fertility of your soil and the secret to AMAZING vegetables, but it also stops waste from going to landfills. There are a whole bunch of ways to do this, depending on your living situation. You can make your own compost bin out of recycled wood, find a second-hand tumbler online, or purchase one. You can also simply dig a hole in the garden and bury it (be careful of attracting pests). There are also some new ways for people with no land to connect with others who do and give them their compost scraps. Community gardens, local Facebook groups, or now in Australia, there is even an app! Sharewaste
Care for your soil and your plants will grow with more ease, abundance, and it will feel less forced. Working with nature and not against it.
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Rosemary and herb salt is a quick and easy way to preserve your homegrown herbs to use throughout the year. Herb finishing salts add so much flavour to meals in a quick and convenient way. Try Rosemary and herb salt on your roast vegetables for a delicious boost of flavour. Get the recipe below 👇
Why Make Rosemary Herb Salt?
Making your own herb salt is a great way to reduce waste and extend your harvest. If your rosemary, thyme, or sage plants are growing abundantly, herb salt is a simple preservation method that retains flavour for months. It also allows you to create custom seasoning blends tailored to your taste.
Plus, it makes a beautiful, homemade gift for Mother’s Day, Christmas, or to share with friends and family—perfect for birthdays or festive seasons.
Benefits of Rosemary in the Garden?
Rosemary is such a versatile herb and works well with both sweet and savoury dishes. It has a fragrant, pine-like aroma. Rosemary offers so many beneficial relationships within your garden. Rosemary is a hardy, drought-tolerant, ever-green perennial herb. A fantastic staple to have to grow in any edible garden. Rosemary also has many healing properties, so it is a handy plant to have near the house or in a kitchen garden.
Rosemary is more than just a tasty kitchen herb—it’s a powerhouse plant in the garden too. It’s hardy, drought-tolerant, and thrives in full sun, making it ideal for warm and dry climates. Rosemary:
Attracts pollinators like bees when in flower
Repels some common pests due to its strong aroma
Helps create structure and evergreen interest in your edible garden
Can be grown in pots or in the ground
Drought-tolerant and easy to grow
Its resilience and low-maintenance nature make it a go-to for beginner gardeners and seasoned growers alike.
When is the Best Time to Harvest Herbs?
The best time of day to harvest your herbs is first thing in the morning. This is when the plants are hydrated and full of life. As the day goes on, they will lose moisture and not be as fresh and vibrant. Early in the morning, the bees are not yet active. As the sun comes up and the dew drys, the bees will be about in a hive of activity. So, if you do pick later in the day, just be cautious, not stress them out and avoid getting stung.
Add to a mixer and blitz until breadcrumb consistency (or leave chunky if you would like too)
Add in salt and blitz quickly to combine.
Spread on to parchment and dry in the oven or dehydrator at 45 degrees celsius until dry. Stir through after one hour to loosen up the mix and allow it to dry faster. The length of time will depend on the water content of the herbs (approx 2 hours). The mixture will go a lighter green colour.
Once dry add to a clean airtight jar.
Notes
The colour may fade over time
Try herbs such as Thyme, Mint, Sage, Chilli, Oregano
How to Use Herb Salt in Cooking
Use your rosemary herb salt:
As a seasoning rub for roasted meats or veggies
Mixed into olive oil for dipping bread
Sprinkled over focaccia before baking
Stirred into soups or stews for an added depth of flavour
On scrambled eggs, grilled halloumi, or oven-baked potatoes
Just remember—herb salt is more concentrated than regular salt, so you often need less of it when seasoning.
Want More Garden Tips and Recipes?
There has never been a better time to learn how to grow healthy, organic food at home. Take back control of your food systems and start the journey to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Say goodbye to nasty chemicals and wax-coated fruit and feed your body with real, nourishing, homegrown food. Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter below.
Edible flowers offer so many beneficial relationships within a home garden. When creating a sustainable permaculture garden, everything should have multiple functions and uses. The more the better! Edible flowers not only look beautiful, but they also aid in pollination, provide food and habitat to beneficial insects for pest management, add diversity to the soil and provide food, and in some cases, offer medicinal qualities for us.
Without adequate pollination, crops may be smaller, less abundant or may not produce at all. So, it is important that we attract pollinators to our gardens to increase yields along with the quality of produce.
Note: not all flowers are edible. Make sure you identify them correctly. Do not eat flowers from florists or areas unknown, as they may have been sprayed with pesticides. The safest option is to grow your own.
Pick your edible flowers in the morning but after the sun has come up. First thing in the morning the flowers will still be closed, so wait until they fully open up. They will be at their best in the morning, full of life and well-hydrated. If you are serving them fresh, pick your edible flowers as close to serving time as possible. Otherwise, place stems in a jar of water or keep in a moistened towel somewhere cool.
Choosing a new fruit tree is exciting, daunting, and at times, overwhelming with possibilities! I am adding another fruit tree to my garden and I would love to share that process with you. Plus, some tips to help you select the best fruit tree for your garden.
Click Below to Watch
Growing Fruit Trees at Home
Fruit trees can be grown and incorporated into many home garden designs to create abundant, fresh food. Fruit trees can even be grown in pots or containers for urban gardens. There really is so many ways to grow your own delicious fruit at home, no matter the size of your garden.
Tips to Choose a New Fruit Tree
Below are some tips or things to consider when you are looking to buy a new fruit tree. Take down a few notes and this will help you eliminate or come up with a clear idea to speak with your local fruit tree nurseries.
Analyse theSun and Shade – is there a specific spot you are looking to fill or are you limited with where you can plant a fruit tree? If this is the case, just do a quick analysis of the conditions. Does it get full sun? are there large trees? or buildings that will shade it during winter? The sun tracks lower in the sky during Autumn and Winter and this means more shadows will be cast across your garden. This can have a huge impact on the growth of your tree.
Learn from my mistakes! I once planted a lime in an area that only gets full sun during the middle of summer. It never grew well and when I moved it to a full sun location, it has took off and is loaded with limes! Citrus like 6+ hours of sunlight a day. So noting down the sun and shade will help you pick a fruit tree that will thrive.
Wind – Does your property get strong winds? If so, what direction do they typically go? This can be very helpful to note down. Some fruit trees do not cope well with strong winds. Papaya, Tamarillo and Banana do not like strong winds. Especially while they are young and delicate. It may mean you need to plant a wind shelter or position your fruit tree in an area that receives less wind. Creating temporary barriers may also be a great solution to protect the tree while it is young and vulnerable.
Temperatures – Take note of your maximum and minimum temperatures. This can be a factor in whether or not you will be able to grow a particular fruit tree or if it will perform below average because of it. Do you receive snow? Frosts? These are important to note down and you may be able to find this information out on local weather reports. Feijoa or “Pineapple Guava” like to have at least 50 chill hours per year to produce good quality crops. Here in Perth, Australia, we can grow Feijoa, but they don’t taste quite as good ( in my opinion). This is also the case with extremely high temperatures, some fruit trees will not perform well. Sometimes, this can be managed with microclimates. Microclimates are areas in your garden that that have unique qualities. For example – next to a metal fence may be warmer, or a shady area with a pond may be cooler with more humidity. This can help you tailor and customise the surrounding to better suit your fruit tree.
Root systems – Take note if you have any concrete, pavers, a pool or plumbing nearby. Some fruit trees have huge root systems that can crack concrete or damage pools. If that is a factor then note that down. There are plenty of trees that have shallow or small root systems or you can plant in containers or pots.
Height Restrictions – would it matter if the fruit tree grew too tall? Fruit trees can be pruned to keep manageable but if you have restrictions such as neighbouring buildings, power lines, roof, eves or fences, it may be worth choosing a shorter variety grafted on dwarf root stock. This will mean the maximum height will be a lot shorter and you will not need to prune and maintain it as often.
How much time do you have to Care and Maintain the Fruit Tree? – Some fruit trees will require a lot more care and maintenance to actually get a good harvest from. Stone fruit for example, will often need to be netted to prevent fruit flies, bats or birds from decimating your crop. If you are wanting a low maintenance fruit tree then there are plenty of options available. Speak to your local fruit tree nursery to see what low maintenance fruit trees thrive in your local area.
What other Fruit Trees do you have? I have a lot of citrus already, so I want to get something different for my next fruit tree.
Have you tried that Fruit before? Once you have an understanding of your specific climate and have a few key points noted down on sun, shade, wind and surroundings, the next thing is to taste some fruit! You don’t want to spend money, allocate space and time, to grow something that you don’t actually like! This can seem obvious, but is often overlooked with the excitement of new fruit trees. Some fruit will be hard to find as there are many types of fruit that don’t travel well and cannot be sold commercially. These can often be found at local growers markets or on local gardening pages. Imagine waiting four or five years for your tree to fruit and then hate the fruit..that would be so annoying!
Observe & Interact – take time to slow down and observe your garden.
What Next? Choose a New Fruit Tree!
Now that you have a little more of an understanding of your climate and restrictions, it’s time to start looking for a new fruit tree! Taking the time to stop and observe, will help you select a fruit tree that will not only thrive in your location, but, that you will also LOVE to eat! Visit your local fruit tree nurseries or fruit tree specialists for valuable local knowledge. They may even be able to order in rare varieties. Local community groups also offer a wealth of knowledge.
In this video I try some tropical fruit to decide whether or not I want to purchase those fruit trees.
What fruit tree do you want to plant next? Let me know in the comments.
