FEBRUARY - Fertiliser

This is the time of year I like to give soil in beds and borders a top dressing of an organic-based fertiliser. Blood, fish and bone, seaweed meal or pelleted chicken manure will all release nutrients slowly over two or three weeks as they break down in the soil, encouraging plants to grow steadily and sturdily. I think they avoid the rapid boost of soft growth susceptible to attack from pests and diseases which many synthetic/chemical fertilisers produce