Homemade fertiliser 'boosts flowering' and rose growth - it uses two kitchen scraps

Roses can survive without being fertilised, but they will struggle. It is important to use the right fertiliser for the plants to produce the healthiest plant possible.

Caring for roses demands regular, correct fertilisation as these blooming beauties are quite greedy.

Roses may survive without it, but only just, struggling to thrive. Choosing the right fertiliser is key to nurturing a thriving, healthy plant. Overdo the nitrogen, and you'll have lush greenery but hardly a bloom in sight; too little, and you're faced with yellow leaves, stunted growth, and weak, pale flowers.

Skimp on phosphorus, and the foliage turns dull, leaves drop, flower stems weaken and tight buds refuse to open. A lack of potassium? You'll see poor stem development, undeveloped buds, and leaves tinged with yellow that soon turn brown.

But chemical fertilisers aren't the only option – kitchen scraps can also do wonders, especially two standout items. Lisa Fontanarosa from the Lisa Fontanarosa Collection said: "To help boost flowering while promoting the growth of your roses, think of the foods you already eat that are rich in magnesium and potassium such as bananas, eggs and your morning cup of coffee."

She's a big fan of using banana peels and eggshells as homemade fertilisers for their potassium content and other "beneficial" minerals like phosphorus, calcium and sulphur, making them her go-tos for rose care. To whip up this "homemade fertiliser", begin by pulverising two to three eggshells and combine them with a sliced banana peel. Toss in some coffee grounds and integrate the trio into the soil beneath and around your roses.

Transfer this blend into a container before amalgamating it with your planting soil. Each ingredient will serve as a "slow release fertiliser, pest deterrent and soil amendment", reports the Express. Moreover, eggshells double as a "pest deterrent" when chopped into tiny coarse fragments and scattered around plants, as the delicate feet of pesky intruders find the jagged eggshells "challenging" to traverse.

Lisa highlighted that gardeners could opt to use just banana peels, which decompose swiftly, enriching the soil with essential minerals like sulphur, calcium, potassium, magnesium and trace elements. For a banana-only approach, puree four to six banana peels into a fine mush using water and blend it into your growing medium.

When bananas are not on hand, the expert enjoys mixing eggshells with mushroom compost and an all-purpose organic plant feed. She advised: "Add a few tablespoons of this concoction around the rose bushes and give it a good watering."