← Organic fertiliser FAQ

How do I feed my plants without chemicals?

Feed the soil with compost and well-rotted manure, then top up through the season with steeped seaweed, alfalfa, comfrey or nettle. Strictly speaking every nutrient is a chemical, but the thing worth avoiding is manufactured soluble salts, and that is straightforward.

What the question usually means

Every nutrient a plant takes up is a chemical, including the ones in compost, so taken literally the question has no answer. What people generally mean is avoiding manufactured soluble salts and synthetic sprays, and that is entirely achievable.

The mainstay: feed the soil

Compost, leaf mould and well-rotted manure release nutrients gradually and keep soil structure and biology in good order, so plants can find what they need for themselves. Spread by the barrowload rather than the handful. This is the part that does most of the work and costs least.

Making your own liquid feeds

Steeping is the cheapest way to get something a plant can use within a week or two rather than a month.

Homemade brews vary batch to batch. Dilute well and treat them as top-ups rather than a measured feed.

When you need something stronger

Pots and hungry crops run through a soil's reserves faster than compost can replace them. A concentrated feed built from milled meals and mined minerals covers that demand without any manufactured soluble salt in it, and gives you a published rate to work to rather than a guess.