Organic Gardening

Olga Schifani & Amy S. Duggan, are vegan organic farmers, educators, and activists. They started the Center for Vegan Organic Education, a subscription farm on Vashon Island, Washington in 1998 and have created the Center for Vegan Organic Education, a non-profit organization to teach people to garden using vegan organic methods and to help people reconnect to their food source.

Question:

I heard that roses like banana peels. Is this true? Should I just throw my banana peels in my rose bush or what?

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Answer:

We haven't heard of this suggestion before. To grow healthy roses you need to give them plenty of water, mulch, and nutrients. Water roses slowly and deeply and make sure they have good drainage. Roses do well with a thick layer (2"-4") of mulch or compost. The mulch will conserve moisture, suppress weed growth, and will add nutrients to the soil. Don't cover the rose stem with mulch. Roses can be prone to a variety of diseases and pests. It is important to trim away any diseased part of the plant and throw it way - do not compost it. Given that roses seem to like a tidy space throwing banana peels around your plants may not be the best choice. You can compost the peels and return them to your roses as mulch. Make sure your bananas are organic!

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