Tomatoes will grow bigger and more abundant when fed cheap kitchen scraps

Tomatoes need more nutrients than other crops to produce fruit, but a simple kitchen scrap could give your tomato plants the boost they need this summer.

Jim Zamzows, a gardener and founder of the Dr Jim Z fertilizer company, has revealed that banana peels can be used as food to help tomatoes grow bigger and stronger.

Banana peels are full of potassium, a crucial nutrient that plays a vital role in fruit production and can lead to higher crop yields.

Jim explained: “Banana peels have become a popular garden fertilizer because they are readily available and one of the greatest natural sources of potassium.”

“Potassium is essential because it helps with photosynthesis, helps with the movement of water and nutrients between cells, helps with flowering and strengthens the stem,” reports the Express.

“Banana peels also contain other important nutrients such as calcium, manganese, sodium, magnesium and sulfur.”

Calcium can help prevent blossom end rot, a common tomato disease that can stunt their development, while magnesium can improve the plant’s overall health.

How to use banana peels to feed tomato plants.

Simply collect several banana peels and store them in a container in the kitchen, and once you have enough, cut them into pieces.

Dig a hole a few inches away from a tomato plant, add banana peels and then fill the hole.

For young tomato plants, feed only one banana peel per plant, but for established tomato plants, you can feed them two to three banana peels per plant.

Bury banana peels every four to six weeks during the tomato plant’s growing season, but you may need to adjust this depending on the quality of the soil and the plant’s reaction to the new fertilizer.

Here’s how to make a banana peel tea for your tomatoes:

All you need are banana peels and a jar with a lid to make an effective banana peel tea for watering tomatoes.

Put several banana peels in a jar, fill it with water, seal it tightly and let it boil for about a week.

Fill the base of your tomato plants with liquid tea and watch as you harvest a richer, larger tomato crop all summer long.

Use the banana peel infused water every two to four weeks, being careful to let the soil dry out between applications to avoid the tomato plants from sinking.

Jim advised, “You can also make larger batches of banana peel tea in a large container for a longer period of time, but make sure you use something covered to prevent rotting odors and attracting animals” .