Deciding what type of fertilizer to use can be a bit confusing. Let the numbers and the labels on the bag be your guide. Fertilizer labels often tell you the type of plant it is best for.  For example, lawn fertilizers generally contain high levels of nitrogen (first number) to promote vegetative or leafy growth. Lawn fertilizers are great for your grass, but lousy for annual flowers (too much nitrogen promotes excessive vegetative growth and inhibits flowering). General-purpose fertilizers are often complete (contain nitrogen, phosphate, and potash) and are good for a wide range of plants in the garden, landscape, or containers.

Home gardeners commonly use granular or liquid forms of fertilizer. Granular fertilizers can be water soluble (fast) or slow-release materials. Slow release fertilizers are formulated to release nutrients over several months so one application in spring may be all that is necessary. Liquid fertilizers are fast-acting and can be applied when you water.

The rate and frequency of application depends on the nutrient analysis of the fertilizer, plant species, soil type, and other factors. For outdoor or garden plants always start with a soil test to determine the amounts of fertilizer needed. There are some general guidelines on how often to fertilize plants.

A granular fertilizer is often applied to vegetable gardens at the beginning of the growing season, usually at planting or prior to planting. Annual flowers may require frequent fertilization throughout the growing season, especially if they are growing in containers. Houseplants need regular fertilization in spring, summer, and fall. Many houseplants do not need fertilizer in the winter. Established perennials may need fertilizer once in the spring every other year. Established trees and shrubs rarely need fertilizer. But these are general recommendations and could vary, so watch your plants. Poor or slow growth and overall yellowing are signs that a plant may be lacking essential plant nutrients and would benefit from an application of fertilizer.

Our Organic Green Compost, Fertile Mulch, Real Farmyard Manure and Premium Soil Conditioner come in 40 litre bags which weigh around 18.5kg each. Our Topsoil comes in 30 litre bags because it is heavier – these weigh around 20kg.
You can buy these for delivery throughout most of mainland UK in 10 bag, 30 bag (half pallet – 25 bags for Topsoil) or 60 bag (full pallet – 50 for Topsoil) sizes. We also sell in bulk, in 450 litre half dumpy bags or 900 litre dumpy bags, which are approximately one cubic metre.

Our soil conditioner consists of horse manure, straw, and a minimal amount of wood shavings, which helps to aerate the compost. The manure is collected daily from stable yards in the local area and brought to our farm where it is processed and turned regularly, allowing oxygen to permeate through. This creates heat, which kills most pathogens and weed seeds.

After roughly a month, the manure is put through a shredder to help break it down, therefore speeding up the process. For the next three months, the manure is continued to be turned and lastly it is screened to 40mm and ready for bagging or distribution.

When people think of mulch, they usually have something in their mind which looks like shredded up trees or bark. But, did you know that mulch is actually any material – organic or not – which is placed over the surface of the soil to conserve moisture, kill weed seedlings, keep soil temperature and moisture normal, or make the garden more attractive – or perhaps all of these!

Of course we’re biased, but we think our Fertile Mulch is the best mulch out there. Not only does it look absolutely beautiful (it is the richest, more gorgeous-looking chocolatey brown), but it pumps your soils full of natural slow-release minerals and nutrients, reduces time spent weeding and watering AND is super easy to handle.

Our fertile mulch goes through a similar process and consists predominantly of horse manure and wood shavings. The manure is heaped up and turned at regular intervals until it is dark brown in colour, at which time it is ready for bagging or distribution. This process takes approximately six months.

Our organic green compost is composted of green waste from council transfer stations and amenity sites, which is brought to our farm and shredded into 70mm pieces and put into windrows. The windrows are then monitored daily for temperature, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and moisture levels. The windrows are turned on a weekly basis, which helps to mix the compost and most importantly introduces more oxygen into the windrow.

After 7 to 8 weeks the compost is put through a screening machine, extracting the 30mm product and 10 mm compost fines ready to use.

For many years there has been controversy over peat used in compost and soil conditioners, with an imminent move towards all gardening products containing peat being banned here in the UK. This is because peat is a fierce protector of the environment, holding and storing damaging carbon-dioxide and preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

The Committee on Climate Change estimates around 39 tonnes of carbon dioxide has been released from every hectare of lowland peat that has been drained and fertilised every year. A further 18.5 to 23 million tonnes are released from other peatlands in the UK. 

‘Standard’ website orders include free delivery. We offer discounts for local deliveries and also trade size orders.