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

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These 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. As you can see, it’s a very good idea to get the right compost for pots and baskets. It will keep your plants looking good for longer, save time on maintenance, and help you avoid having to replace plants on a regular basis. What exactly is compost? Traditionally, a lot of composts contained peat – it’s high in nutrients and works wonders on plants. However, the negative effects of harvesting and using peat have become more evident in recent years. 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.

When peat is dug up, to be used as compost (or for other reasons), the store of carbon is disturbed and released into the atmosphere. This is the first downside of harvesting peat – especially on a commercial scale. For multi-purpose composts, look for a relatively even NPK ratio . This refers to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the mix, all of which are nutrients required for plant health.There’s a range of peat-free compost on the market, although some gardeners feel they are not as effective as composts containing peat. Peat-free compost generally contain wood-based materials such as wood fibre, sawdust or bark.

With so many different types of compost to choose from, sometimes it can be a little difficult to know which is the right compost to buy for your plants. The best way to think of it is by breaking it down into the life cycle of a plant. Seeds and seedlings Loam is currently in short supply and the soil-based material used appears to be highly variable and not necessarily consistent with what is commonly understood to be a medium loam. There is no legally binding standards for John Innes potting media ingredients. Garden soil is usually too heavy and dense for containers. Worms and microorganisms do a great job of keeping it aerated when it’s in your garden, but if you put it in a pot it will become compacted. Once this happens, drainage becomes a problem. Water either runs straight off causing plants to dry out, or your plants end up sitting in a puddle which ultimately rots their roots. Sand - The coarse sand or grit is used as a physical conditioner to allow excess water to drain from the compost and thus prevent water-logging. It also helps to provide stability for larger plants. The consistency of this compost makes it easy to work with. It’s very smooth, and has a fresh smell to it with a crumbly texture. The most important thing is to make sure it’s not able to dry out. In storage, ensure it’s as airtight as possible and it should last for up to a year.

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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 Plants still need to be transferred to a pot with more room so that root systems continue to spread throughout their life. This helps build strong foundations, anchoring the expanding growth above ground. Even though the plants are better established, there’s plenty more development to go, so the right nutrients are essential to keep growth healthy. 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 If you’d like to explore more container gardening resources, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy. Spring flowers for pots Summer plants for pots Fall flowers for pots Winter plants for pots Trailing plants for hanging baskets and pots Low maintenance plants for pots Growing lavender in pots Growing sunflowers in pots How to get rid of ants in plant pots