Don't throw them out — banana skins make the ideal garden fertilizer with this 2-step recipe

Fertilizing your garden is an important part of keeping your plants and grass happy by providing nutrients that'll help it thrive.

And while you can buy all sorts of fertilizers, you can save yourself a lot of money while helping the environment with easy ways to make homemade fertilizer.

But, before you start raiding your cupboards for ingredients to whip up garden-loving concoctions, it really can be as easy as picking up a bunch of bananas. And I learnt this, thanks to a simple Instagram post from @simonakeroydgardenwriter.

Simon Akeroyd has written over 30 gardening books, so you could say he's a bit of an expert. I'm one of his over one million followers on Instagram and while I've watched a lot of his quick and easy-to-follow videos, there's one about bananas that's really caught my eye.

How it works

As Simon explains in his Instagram caption, you shouldn't throw away your banana skins. Instead, you should use them to make free plant feed instead.

But, how? Simon writes: "You can either dilute the concentrate (add a splash into your watering can next time you're watering plants) or use as a concentrate for a real nutrient boost, depending on the strength of the feed".

And he demonstrates as such in his video. He shows how you can cut up the banana skins and place them in a glass jar, leave it outside to collect rainwater or fill it up from the tap, and then leave it for a few days to ferment.

Then, you can pour it on whichever plants you want, just like you would when you usually water them.

Or, you can pop them in your compost pile to add nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium that'll all help plant growth. It's really as simple as that.

Why bananas?

The best thing about bananas is how quickly they decompose. While that's not ideal if you like to eat your bananas a little more on the yellow side, it's great news for your garden.

As bananas break down easily, the nutrients are released a lot quicker and can be distributed across your garden with ease.

Plus, if you opt to make Simon's liquid concentrate, you'll only have to wait a few days for the bananas to turn brown before you can use it.

Bananas are also a natural fertilizer, so it's really just finding the right method to get them to feed your plants. And if you use Simon's glass jar method, you'll be able to water your plants with the liquid in two simple steps.

Then, your plants can take advantage of all the nutrients found within a banana that are especially good for plant life, like phosphorous and potassium. It'll help with flowering, water retention and the overall health of your plants.

Basically, bananas are best and since you'll have eaten the middle, you're not only saving money, but you're saving the planet with a natural homemade creation.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 mistakes you make when applying fertilizer to your yard
• Garden experts share the best time to water your lawn — and I've been getting it all wrong
• How to use coffee grounds as lawn fertilizer — 5 tips for a lush lawn