How Long Does It Take Banana Peels to Compost?

Banana Sales in United States

• Bananas are the most popular fruit sold in America, according to Dole Food Company statistics quoted at the Iowa Department of Public Health website. Dole says that 4 million tons of bananas are imported to the United States annually. There are 8 trillion pounds in 4 million tons. Multiply that by an average of three bananas per pound, and that means Americans consume about 24 trillion bananas annually. Slate Magazine notes that although banana peels can decompose quickly in compost, they often "mummify" in a landfill due to lack of air, water and sunlight.

Benefits of Composting Bananas

• Banana peels and other kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps contribute nitrogen to compost. In addition, the Gardening Know How website notes that banana peels add calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphates, potassium and sodium to the mix, all of which benefit plants. Composted organic matter also aerates soil and helps it retain moisture. Adding banana peels directly to garden soil won't harm plants but also won't help much. The peels break down more rapidly in compost that is well aerated from weekly turning. Decomposition releases the peels' nutrients for use by plants.

Hot Versus Cold Composting

• Hot composting is done outdoors and involves creating a pile of debris containing alternating "green" and "brown" layers. Green material, such as kitchen scraps, contains nitrogen. Brown layers include woody materials and dried leaves, which are high in carbon. The nitrogen and carbon work together to encourage microorganisms that help the organic matter decay. This process creates heat. Cold composting is done indoors in ventilated, lidded bins containing red wiggler worms that are fed kitchen scraps and carbon-rich materials, such as shredded paper. The worms break down the material into a loamy, earthy-smelling soil amendment. It is better to hot compost banana peels, because they often bear fruit fly larvae. The Green Education Foundation website says that if fruit flies are abundant in outdoor compost bins, it indicates that more carbon material needs to be added.

Other Compostable Materials

• All fruit and vegetable materials can be added to compost, although it is best to avoid placing diseased materials in compost heaps. Other compostable materials include cotton and woolen materials, cow and horse manure, drier lint, newspaper, cardboard, grass clippings and other yard debris, excluding weeds. If the compost pile doesn't develop sufficient heat, weed seeds may survive and germinate later.