What is Potting Compost?
Potting compost is a growing medium that is purposely made for the use of growing seedlings in pots and containers before planting outside. This is also a great way to get into gardening if you have a relatively small amount of space in a paved garden or green house.
Here’s some tips to get the most out of your potting compost.
How to use Potting Compost
1, Fill small pots, containers or trays with compost then water the compost generously, leaving it to drain out. See our Bamboo Growing Tray for an eco-friendly alternative to traditional growing containers.
2, Evenly distribute seeds on top of the soil leaving 2-3cm between them. Then cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost, about the same depth as the seed. The smaller the seed, the less soil you’ll need to cover them with.
3, Cover the container with a small plastic bag or piece of glass to keep the soil moist and the temperature regulated and then leave on a bright windowsill for germination. Now sit back and wait for propagation.
4, You can remove your covering to reveal your seedlings once they have started to sprout. Leave them to grow in a warm, well-lit spot but remember to move them away from windowsills at night as they will be sensitive to the temperature change.
5, once your seedlings produce their second pair of leaves its time for them to be re-potted or “pricked”. To prick out your seedlings, take them out of the soil and re-plant them 5cm apart up to their first set of leaves in a deeper growing tray. Remember to only handle them by the leaves and not the stem.
6, After a few weeks, once feel your seedlings have gotten large enough you can put them into a big pot outside. Remember to keep the soil moist and to top up with fresh potting compost yearly to keep nutrient levels high.
Storage
To get the most out of your remaining compost, cover the bag and leave in a cool dry place to stop it getting waterlogged and to keep insects and weeds out. Refresh any compost in pots yearly to replace nutrients. It is also recommended to feed container plants to keep nutrient levels high.
Our Potting Compost
Here at Earth Cycle, we have formulated our own compost specifically for this purpose. Our compost is a peat free, nutrient dense blend made from a composted fine bark and coir with a slow-release fertiliser, making it a great option for anyone looking to start growing.
For more info on our Potting Compost click HERE
