How to Improve Your Compost: A Guide to Compost Additives
Any gardener knows that compost is an important consideration when growing your own vegetables and flowers. Creating your own compost is a worthwhile and rewarding activity, but we don’t all have the time or the space to do this. With so many places now selling convenient, pre-packed compost, it’s difficult to know what you’re looking for and how to give your plants what they actually need.
The move to peat-free compost has also created huge variability in compost quality and the impact it has on how your seeds and plants develop. We therefore encourage you not to buy the cheapest product you can find – try different brands and once you’ve found one you are happy with, stick with it.
At Premier Seeds Direct, we sell a range of products that can help to improve the quality and efficacy of your compost that includes compost improver, perlite, and vermiculite, as well as Peat-Free Jiffy Pellets to give your seeds the start they need.
What is Compost?
Compost is made from organic materials that have decomposed in a controlled manner to provide nutrients and air to plants, help with water retention, and offer anchorage and stability for roots. It is typically made from a mix of green materials (food scraps, manure, and grass clipping) that are high in nitrogen, and brown materials (wood chips, paper, and cardboard) that are high in carbon. Generally, compost is high in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium, all of which are needed for plants to thrive. Compost also helps to improve your soil’s structure and drainage.
Bioactive Compost Improver
Our Bioactive Compost Improver is the perfect addition to any compost, containing mycorrhizal fungi that act as an extension of your plant’s natural root system, and beneficial soil bacteria which release vital nutrients that promote robust seed development.
Using this improver improves nutrient and water uptake whilst also increasing germination rates, and it can increase root capacity by up to 700 times!
It will enhance the effectiveness of peat-free compost, and is incredibly easy to use. You can either mix directly into your compost before use, or sprinkle as you sow.
One 200g pack will treat 100 litres of compost, making it a cost-effective compost improvement solution.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral (magnesium-aluminium-iron-silicate) with a neutral PH that looks like golden flakes when used in horticulture.
It can absorb 3-4 times its weight in water and contains beneficial nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It is excellent at aerating the soil whilst also retaining water and nutrients that it then releases over time, making it an exceptional compost additive for both seed sowing and propagation, whilst also benefiting plants that require moisture-rich conditions.
We sell 1-3mm grade vermiculite which is particularly good for seed covering and mixing with composts.
If you’re looking for aeration and water retention, mix 4 parts of seed compost to 1 part of vermiculite. If you want to use on small surface-sown seeds, lightly cover them with vermiculite rather than the growing medium to give them extra moisture.
Perlite
Perlite is a white, lightweight granular material that is made from expanded volcanic glass. Its expanded nature means that it is very porous, so it is excellent for absorbing water, and it improves drainage by trapping air in the soil.
Perlite is very dusty, however, so we recommend dampening it with water before using in a well-ventilated area.
If you want to improve drainage, mix with compost at a ratio of 1:4 and do this before planting to make sure you have an even mix.
If you want to take cuttings, use a specific cutting compost and mix at a 50:50 ratio. Fill your pots and water thoroughly and let drain for several hours before inserting your cuttings.
If you want to sow seeds, mix into compost at a 50:50 ratio. You can also use a fine layer to cover seeds that need light to germinate as the perlite will let the light through whilst keeping the soil moist.
Peat-Free Jiffy Pellets
Peat-Free Jiffy Pellets are a cost-effective and space saving method of creating high quality plug plants from seed.
They are made of coconut coir, a renewable resource that reduces environmental impact.
Hydrate your pellets with warm water before use for 5-10 minutes where they will grow to the advertised size. Make sure to drain any excess water before planting your seeds to ensure they are not waterlogged.
We sell these pellets in small, medium, and large sizes, and you can find out more information about these and planting out your plugs on the product page.
