Advice
Many composts on sale in garden centres are labelled ‘with added John Innes’. Our own SylvaGrow with added John Innes https://melcourt.co.uk/products/sylvagrow-with-added-john-innes/ is no exception. But why do so many products have this added extra ingredient and what exactly is it? We explained in a previous blog the origins and nature of John Innes composts –…
Read MoreCompost is typically heavy, damp and usually stored outside at garden centres. So the packaging needs to be strong and resilient. At Melcourt we have been searching for alternatives to plastic but we and other manufacturers are yet to find anything that matches the efficiency of plastic. We currently incorporate 30% of recycled…
Read MoreSpring has definitely sprung and everything in the garden is bursting with growth and potential. Keen gardeners will be sowing seeds and potting them on, and very soon it will be bedding plant time. So we all need plenty of good, fresh peat-free compost! Gardeners will be used to the instruction to apply supplementary feed…
Read MoreYou’ve opened a new bag of compost ready to get potting and suddenly see little white balls. But what are they? Surely not an infestation of fresh slug eggs? What are the tiny balls in the compost? You may have noticed small white balls in the compost when using it. We use a…
Read MoreSometimes we get asked about the appearance of toadstools in SylvaGrow. If you see fungi in your compost, don’t panic! They’re our friends. From time to time, depending on climatic conditions, you may see mushrooms in your peat-free compost. For many people, this can be a concern. We are often told mushrooms and fungi…
Read MoreMelcourt’s Technical Director, Catherine Dawson, answers, “are all peat-free composts the same? Changing from a well-loved compost that you have used for years can feel challenging. The news that all sales of peat in composts sold to gardeners will be banned from 2024 is excellent for habitat conservation and climate change, but some gardeners who…
Read MoreMelcourt’s Technical Manager Victoria Wright talks about flies in compost, what they are and what to do about them. As you move houseplants inside for the winter or begin early seed sowing, you may notice little flies in compost, buzzing around the plants or running across the surface. These small, black flies are fungus gnats,…
Read MoreAs the garden starts to wind down a bit for winter, we are often left wondering what I should do with used compost. The compost may no longer be fit for use in tubs and baskets, but it still holds a lot of value in the garden. So when you’re turning out your containers and…
Read MoreWhat could be nicer than enjoying your own freshly harvested potatoes at Christmas? With a little bit of care and attention this is perfectly possible in a SylvaGrow Planter! The principles of late-season potatoes are pretty similar to spring-planted ones. But it’s best to purchase seed potatoes that have been specially prepared for the…
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