Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: flowerlady on January 22, 2008, 15:05
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Hi All :tongue2: ... sorry been so quiet of late ... family have had one or two health probs :? ... however it did not stop me reading! :D
Have been reading up on the benefits of banana skins.
Found this:
"Proponents (in bananas) suggest that high quantities of calcium, magnesium, sulphur, phosphates, sodium and silica are released into the soil.
However, the recommendation is to chuck them all onto the compost heap and improve the content of that! (especially in a tardis to discourage ant rats!) It would seem the quantities of 'goodies' in a single skin is minimal to good soil, but would undoubtedly improve impoverished soil.
Having said that, I am sure, particular plants have particular needs. I use skins on roses with great results. And tomatoes placed next to bananas will ripen quicker!!
A friend wrote to me to say ….
“The plants appear to be thriving on this food supply which also seems to retain moisture at the roots. All my fruit bushes are also planted on top of bananas / banana skins in the raw state, not composted. It is my belief that the fruit bushes derive a more sustained release of nutrient using this method, but that's just a personal opinion.”
I was wondering … has anyone here ever tried using skins to their advantage????
What might you have used skins for?
What were the ensuing results like?
Was there anything that did not like/react to banana skins?
Flo :wink:
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I read in a gardening magazine that when you plant out your tomatoes to put a banana skin underneath the roots because it contains all the nutrients tomatoes need.
Not tried it myself
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I read in a gardening magazine that when you plant out your tomatoes to put a banana skin underneath the roots because it contains all the nutrients tomatoes need.
Not tried it myself
Top tip i'm going to do that this year!!!
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Last year, I put all my banana skins in the tomato pots,at around the stage when there are lots of green tomatoes, and you're waiting eagerly for the first red one. I thought it was potasium which was good for them, and the enzymes from the skin helped to redden them.
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Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana cal ms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit!
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Yay !! :tongue2: :tongue2: :tongue2:
I knew I was on to a good thing! :wink: If they do us so much good they have to benefit my veggies !!! :D :D :D :lol:
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:oops: After the 3rd day of a banana a day, I'm usually heading off to the loo in a bit of a hurry :oops:
I do like a banana, but few and far between for me thank you :lol:
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Anyone remember the song mellow yellow?
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i have know people to dry banana skins - and smoke it :shock:
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Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
My 2 year old suffers terribly with constipation - she used to eat bananas but won't any more.... the Health Visitor blamed the bananas for the constipation! Shows you what she knew!
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Masha - can you please provide a citation source for your post above. We need to be wary of copyright. Thanks
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Anyone remember the song mellow yellow?
Donovan :!:
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Masha - can you please provide a citation source for your post above. We need to be wary of copyright. Thanks
It was emailed to me by a friend, I don't have one.
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Hi anarchist plotter
Why don't you pop up to the Welcome forum and introduce yourself. With a name yours you're bound to have a good story to tell :D
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Hi anarchist plotter
Why don't you pop up to the Welcome forum and introduce yourself. With a name yours you're bound to have a good story to tell :D
I'll bet his allotment is an anarchist plot :twisted:
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Masha - can you please provide a citation source for your post above. We need to be wary of copyright. Thanks
It was emailed to me by a friend, I don't have one.
OK thanks.
I have added one of the Google results as a citation.
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Masha - can you please provide a citation source for your post above. We need to be wary of copyright. Thanks
It was emailed to me by a friend, I don't have one.
OK thanks.
I have added one of the Google results as a citation.
I guess I should check my facts, didn't realise they were "rumours"!