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Compost for specific plants and soil types
From enhancing your flower beds to cultivating seedlings, compost can provide all the nutrients that your garden plants will need
From enhancing your flower beds to cultivating seedlings, compost can provide all the nutrients that your garden plants will need.
Not only that, but composting for plants also improves moisture retention and ensures optimal soil aeration. It can also boost your eco credentials given that it’s essentially 100% recycled.
However, to be most effective you need to choose the right kind of compost for plants.
How to choose the best compost for your plants
Compost and plants go together like strawberries and cream. However, several factors should be considered when looking at plant compost, including soil type, the kind of plants you’re growing, the nutrients they need, and the location you plan to use it.
Understanding different compost types
Multi-purpose compost
This is a go-to choice for anyone seeking a compost that works for everything.
A high-quality peat-free compost has an open, airy structure and enhances water retention.
You can use it for adding fertility to pots, hanging baskets and containers, planting in beds and borders, and for large seeds as well as growing fruit and vegetables.
Seed and cutting compost
A peat-free compost that’s specifically created for seeds and cuttings will be a lot finer and usually contain grit, or sand, to help delicate roots grow. It also facilitates good drainage.
This variant of compost will contain fewer nutrients, which might sound counter-intuitive. However, higher nutrient levels in multi-purpose compost can scorch seedlings.
Therefore, it’s best to use this type of compost at the outset before switching to the multi-use variety once seedlings are thriving.
Peat-based compost
Peat is a naturally occurring substance formed over millions of years from partially decomposed organic matter that was once under water – and plants really love it!
Peat retains moisture and is rich in nutrients. However, the downside is that it comes at a significant environmental cost.
This is because peatlands store enormous amounts of carbon – in excess of six hundred gigatonnes – which is more than the carbon stored in all the forests on earth.
When excavated, this carbon is released into the air, contributing to climate change.
Because of this, peat-based compost has been banned in some countries, including the UK which is scheduled to enforce the ban from 2030.
Peat-free compost
A greener alternative is peat-free compost that mimics the type of compost you might create at home.
This is a combination of organic materials and inorganic ingredients, like sharp sand and perlite, which enrich the soil and support plants without the same harm to the environment as peat.
Loam-based compost
A loam-based compost has a proportion of loam soil and contains a balanced mix of clay, sand, and silt. Loam can contain peat although you can get it in peat-free form.
Loam compost is used to improve soil structure and drainage, as well as enhance fertility and avert fluctuations in water and nutrient.
Ericaceous compost
Ericaceous compost is best for acid-loving plants including rhododendrons, azaleas, heathers, and blueberries, which thrive less in alkaline soils.
Mushroom compost
Mushroom compost was developed as a by-product of commercial mushroom growing and is an excellent option because it’s full of nutrients and is slightly alkaline.
Mushroom compost is available to buy from Forward Builders’ Supplies here
Which type of compost should I use for…?
Vegetables
Organic compost is good for vegetables because it can result in a more productive crop. However, you need to ensure the pH level of the compost is near neutral (around 7.0) for the best results.
You might also want to consider mushroom compost, which can help cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale, and broccoli to thrive.
Flower beds and ornamental plants
Again, a high-quality multi-purpose compost is best. If you want to avoid using peat, the alternative is to mix a peat-free multi-purpose compost with good topsoil to provide stability and help with moisture retention.
As mentioned above, ericaceous compost is the one for acid-loving plants like azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons.
Fruit trees
A loam soil-based compost works for fruit trees because it will support growth and is a more satisfying long-term medium for a tree.
Herbs and light feeders
A loam-based potting compost will be best for light feeders and herbs.
House plants
Use a peat-free, multi-purpose compost.
Explore the composts available from Forward Builders’ Supplies’ range here.
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