When it comes to feeding your plants, there are several ways of doing it. There are multi-purpose general feeds that can be used on all plants all round the garden. But there are some situations where a specific feed, supplying a specific plant nutrient, are needed. For instance, when planting in the garden you should use a feed that is high in phosphorous to encourage strong root growth and fast establishment. Where plants aren’t flowering well, a high potash feed will encourage more flowers.
Plant feeds that contain one or two nutrients rather than all 3 of the major plant nutrients (NPK: nitrogen, phosphorous and potash) are called ‘straights’.
Bone meal: natural root builder
Bone meal is a natural source of phosphorous, essential for building a strong root system. It slowly releases nutrients over several weeks and also contains nitrogen, ensuring greener, healthier plants.
Sulphate of ammonia: growth booster
This growth booster is a source of nitrogen that promotes lush, green, healthy foliage. As a result, it cures leaf yellowing.
Sulphate of potash: natural fruit & flower enchancer
Potash encourages flowering and fruiting and produces bigger, healthier fruit and flowers. It also helps protect against diseases and drought.
Superphosphate: fruit & vegetable ripener
Phosphate helps plants establish quickly by promoting strong and healthy rooting. And it helps produce healthier, abundant fruit and vegetables.
Sulphate of iron: ericaceous soil conditioner
Iron is a vital nutrient for many lime-hating, acid-loving ericaceous plants, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and heathers. It prevents and corrects leaf yellowing as well as increasing soil acidity, so these plants grow stronger and healthier.
Magnesium salts: natural source of epsom salts
Epsom salts are a natural form of magnesium. This nutrient helps prevent and correct leaf yellowing and produces lush, green, vibrant foliage. Tomatoes will also crop better.
Lime: natural soil improver
Lime is rich in calcium, which reduces soil acidity, so it is important for those plants that dislike acidic soils. It also helps produce greener, healthier plants. Lime is also a good clay breaker, helping to break down heavy soils.
Growmore: garden plant food
Growmore has been used in gardens since World War 2 – so it has a long heritage as a plant feed. It contains an essential mix of NPK nutrients for all plants, helping to produce strong and healthy growth.
Chicken manure: soil enricher
Chicken manure releases its nutrients slowly over time to improve the soil. It encourages strong and healthy growth. Use it all around the garden.
Fish, blood & bone: natural plant food
This is a natural, general NPK feed that encourages strong, healthy growth, produces more flowers, fruit and veg, as well as boosting soil fertility.
NPK Ratios
It is important to know which nutrients are contained in a fertiliser, and how much of these nutrients it contains. The three main nutrients - nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potash (K) - are listed as the fertiliser - or NPK - ratio. This shows how much is contained as a percentage.
A 7:7:7 fertiliser contains 7% of each nutrient and is called a balanced feed. A high-potash feed may have a 4:3:8 ratio.
If the feed contains other macro/micro nutrients these will be listed individually with the percentage contained.
