Melcourt Sylvagrow All Purpose Peat Free Compost with Added John Innes 40 Litre

Product Information

Research is ongoing into a number of materials that, if locally available, may be useful ingredients in blended products, such asarable straw waste, wool waste, carpet waste, and paper and cardboard production waste. John Innes Composts were originally developed at the John Innes Horticultural Institute in the 1930s. The four formulae were designed to cater for the different nutritional needs of plants ranging from seed sowing through to final containers. The range comprised Seed Compost and then numbers 1, 2 & 3, containing successively higher nutrient levels. SylvaGrow® John Innes Seed Compost, No.1, No.2 and No.3 offer gardeners an exceptional opportunity to use these great heritage composts with an updated peat-free formulation. Cuttings • Ensure the mother plant is well-watered before taking cuttings • Fill a deep seed tray or pot with SylvaGrow Organic and make a suitable hole with a dibber or pencil • Prepare the stem or root cuttings according to type, ensuring that they are not allowed to dry out between cutting and inserting. • Insert the cutting and gently firm the medium around it • Stem cuttings need to be in a moist environment out of direct sunlight until they have rooted so either place in a cold frame, a covered propagator or cover with polythene, using supports to prevent the polythene from touching the cuttings. Root cuttings can be placed in a cold frame or sheltered spot out of direct sunlight and can benefit from a thin layer of grit on the growing medium surface • Once the cuttings are well-rooted they can be potted on according to the instructions above.

Fill a suitable pot with fresh SylvaGrow Organic, use a dibber to make a hole and place the seedling in it, tapping the pot to settle the mix around the roots Ensure that the SylvaGrow with added John Innes is kept moist but not over-wet, at all times. Hanging baskets have a particularly high water requirement and may need watering every day in warm weather NB For very small seeds such as Begonia or Impatiens, sieve the SylvaGrow before use to remove the larger particles, which can otherwise impede seedling development. Removing peat from the ground is an unsustainable activity that can cause serious harm to the environment and damage biodiversity. For this reason, it is being phased out from horticultural use, with the sale of peat and peat-containing products in the retail horticultural sector being banned by 2024, although some uses for professional growers will still be permitted until 2030. All four compost formulae originally incorporated a soil component made up of sterilised loam, peat and sharp sand. The seedling mix amended the soil component with ground limestone and superphosphate, while the three potting mixes (John Innes No.1, No.2 and No.3) contained varying quantities of ground limestone and a fertiliser mix (made up of hoof and horn, supersulphate and sulphate of potash).John Innes (1829-1904) was a British property developer and philanthropist. When he died, he left funds to create a horticultural institute with the aim of providing “technical instruction in the principles of the science and art of horticulture and the application thereof to the industry or employment of gardening”. It was this institute that developed the compost that still bears his name today, although it never manufactured it for sale or benefited financially from it. What is John Innes compost?

NB For very small seeds such as Begonia or Impatiens, sieve the SylvaGrow with added JI before use to remove the larger particles, which can otherwise impede seedling development. Fully endorsed by the RHS, safe for vegans and 100% free from peat and green waste compost, it represents an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional compost that is widely used by nurseries and horticulturalists across the country. It has a wide range of uses, including raising seeds and cuttings and potting on, while our 50-litre bags can also successfully be used as growing bags, ideal for tomatoes, aubergines, strawberries, peppers, chillies and much more. Ensure that the SylvaGrow Organic is kept moist but not over-wet, at all times. Hanging baskets have a particularly high water requirement and may need watering every day in warm weatherRemember to supplementary feed as instructed above in ‘Potting On’ as vegetables are heavy feeders and will respond well. 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 manufacturers have been developingan ever-increasing range of peat-free options, which are now readily available in most garden centres. Along with increasing availability, the quality of peat-free composts has greatly improved in recent years too, so if you’ve had a go with peat-free in the past and perhapshad problems, it’s well worth trying again.