Westland 50L Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes, Brown

Product Information

You will also struggle to provide your plants with the nutrients they need from garden soil. As we mentioned above, soil usually contains less nutrients than compost. This means your plants will find it harder to grow and stay healthy if they have access to soil alone. Finally, using garden soil in pots runs the risk of transferring harmful bacteria to your lovely container plants – and nobody wants that! Managing water levels in potting compost Don’t forget to always follow the compost label instructions. Frequently asked questions about compost How do you know if compost is good quality?

These are the basic requirements of any houseplant compost, but different types of houseplant will require subtly different compost mixes for optimum results. Types of houseplant compost Standard houseplant compost Seeing as compost is made up of decayed organic material, it has a lot of great nutrients in it. The three main nutrients, which are often present in shop-bought fertilisers as well, are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.The key ingredients to look out for are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Broadly speaking, nitrogen helps with leaf growth, phosphate is for a strong root development, and potassium will encourage flowering and fruiting. Let’s have a look at the different types of composts available to buy and what goes in them. Peat Free All Purpose (or Multi Purpose) Compost Multi-purpose compost was traditionally peat-based but for a number of years there has been a desire to reduce the use of these composts due to the devastating environmental effects of peat extraction. A number of different peat-free composts are now available, involving different base materials such as coir, wood-fibre or composted bark. Since these composts may differ significantly in their structure and composition, their effect on plant growth and flowering may also vary. These tend to be an all purpose compost with organic plant food rather than mineral based. These organic feeds tend to release the nutrients more slowly. Ericaceous compost

You can also add garden compost to used potting compost to top up the nutrients. As well as being a great way to practice eco-friendly gardening, this can also help you to garden on a budget. Is topsoil better than compost for pots? The texture is relatively neutral – not too sandy or soggy, and there are some additional components included, like wood fibre. The wood fibre comes from FSC certified forests which means it’s been sustainably grown/sourced.If water-logging is more of a concern, adding * perlite to your compost will help to improve drainage. Using containers with plenty of drainage holes and raising your pots on * pot feet will also help. What is the best soil mix for pots? Potting compost is designed specifically for use with plants grown in pots and containers. It’s not a soil improver; it’s an alternative to soil. The texture of potting compost is lighter than garden compost, and it has the right balance of nutrients to support plants growing in pots. Can I use garden compost in pots? out of reach of children It contains 50% composted wood fibre, to open the mix up and get air to the roots, and a precise blend of 3 different grades of peats to balance drainage and water holding

When it comes to shop-bought compost, always buy a reputable brand so that you know the quality will be consistent and of a high standard such as Miracle-Gro or Levington. Homemade compost needs to be a rich dark brown colour and should be dry and crumble between your fingers. You know when your compost is ready as there will be no nasty smell, just a deep earthy smell. What is the best compost for beginners? Get growing your own with our Functional Multi-Purpose Compost :: Customer Review = 5 Give your garden all the nutrients it needs with our new formulation multi-purpose compostThese are used to improve aeration and drainage in heavy clay soil and add body to light sandy soil to help retain moisture and nutrients. It also boosts the soil fertility by adding nutrients to encourage healthy foliage, flowers and root growth.

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. Compost is also suitable for vigorously-growing plants such as tomatoes and chrysanthemums. When you buy a bag of compost, it’s essentially organic matter which is designed to improve soil, or support plants grown in specific conditions – such as containers. As a plant begins its life, it needs the right conditions to grow. Give your seeds and very young plants a head start by potting them in a fine compost designed to allow delicate roots to explore easily. It has good water retention as well as efficient drainage, and doesn’t compact around plants of become overly dense.

Jump to

Carnivorous plants have evolved to cope with low-nutrient environments such as peat bogs and require specialist composts; standard houseplant compost will kill them. The precise compost required will depend on the genera of the plants you are growing. This Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes can be used at any life-stage of the plant: whether it’s germinating or waiting to flower. It delivers a good mix of nutrients and is suitable to be used for up to five weeks. Sometimes there will be additional ingredients like seaweed; seaweed contains a lot of micronutrients that are beneficial to both the aesthetic appearance of the plant and its general health. If you’re looking for a general purpose houseplant compost that is suitable for many indoor plants you are most likely to choose this type of growing media. This type of houseplant compost is typically known as a multi-purpose compost or indoor potting mix.