Banana skins are ripe stuff for toms

I’ve heard banana skins take a while to compost. Is there another use for them? Jarvis, via email

DAVID: Yes! Banana skins are great in the garden. Hang them in your greenhouse to ripen tomatoes – or use them to feed roses, as they add potassium to the soil.

Bananas take a few months to break down in compost but turning the soil regularly speeds the process – or buy a rotating or heated compost bin for faster decomposition.