Michigan Gardeners Burying Bananas In Their Plots, But Why?

"Excuse me, but is that a banana in your garden?" I asked my neighbor who had placed a banana, peel, and all in their plot. Last I knew, Michigan's climate was kind to banana plants.

"Why, yes, yes it is." they casually answered as they continued gardening.

I had follow-up questions:

"Why?" I asked, without even trying to hide just how perplexing this was to me. "I don't know. My grandma did it and said it was good for the soil, so I do it, too." Having not received the answer I was looking for (and my neighbor wouldn't give me his grandma's phone number), I immediately turned to the internet for an answer.

Should You Put Bananas / Banana Peels in Your Garden

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Leave it to the farming experts at Tree Plantation to shed light on a confusing Michigan gardening practice, who shared that planters do this because bananas are rich in nutrients growing plants need. But, and you knew there was a 'but' coming, they also say that just because the banana has the nutrients doesn't guarantee that your garden will benefit.

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SouthernLiving.com explains that the rate at which bananas break down doesn't necessarily jive with the timeline of your plants and soil. Why? Because bananas can take up to a year to break down, especially when buried. But there is a faster way.

Composted Bananas Offer the Biggest Benefit

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According to Southern Living, the best way to get the most out of a banana is to put it in the compost bin. The warm, moist conditions will not only quickly decay the banana, but it will pick up some additional nutrients in the process, like calcium, magnesium, phosphates, and more, on top of the potassium already present in the fruit.

If you really want to know how nutrient-rich your garden is, spend $26 for Michigan State University's Extension Offices Home Lawn and Garden Sil Test Mailer. You can pick one up at an MSU Extension office or online through the MSU Extension bookstore.