Vitax Q4 alternative
Same price, but your soil gets better every year
Vitax Q4 is a pelleted 5.3-7.5-10 general feed, led by potash. All Purpose 4-4-4 is balanced, granular and blended from ten organic ingredients, with calcium, sulphur, seaweed, humic acid and biochar that Q4 does not list. A base application costs 51p to 80p per square metre, against 47p to 84p for Q4. Ours is the long-term choice: it feeds the plant and builds soil health season on season.
£12.00 All Purpose 4-4-4, 1.5 kg
Choose All PurposeBigger plot? 4 kg is £24.50. 9 kg is £46.00 with free UK delivery.
★★★★★ Rated 4.95/5 from 513 reviews. Free UK delivery over £40. Dispatched in 1 to 2 working days. Formulated and blended in Stockport, in compostable bags.
- All Purpose 4-4-4 does the same job as Q4: one feed for veg, fruit, flowers and shrubs.
- One square metre, base application: 51p to 80p with ours at 100 g, 47p to 84p with Q4 at 140 g.
- Q4 is potash-led (5.3-7.5-10). Ours is balanced; for a potash-led organic feed see Fruit & Vegetable 4-5-6.
- Ours adds calcium and sulphur from gypsum, plus seaweed, humic acid and biochar.
- Not vegan: All Purpose 4-4-4 contains bone meal.
What it costs
Q4 at 140 g per m² before planting; ours at 100 g per m².
Over a season. Q4's summer applications drop to 70 g per m², once or twice. A base application plus two in summer comes to 93p to £1.68 per m². Three applications of ours come to £1.53 to £2.40.
Vitax Q4 rates from the pack label; 4.5 kg tubs at £15.00 to £26.99 from four UK retailers, checked 13 Nov 2026. Dr Forest from £12.00 (1.5 kg), £24.50 (4 kg) and £46.00 (9 kg) bags. Vitax Q4 is a trademark of its owner; Dr Forest is not affiliated.
What the extra buys you
A first application costs about the same. Over a full season Q4 comes in lower. This is what you get for the difference.
- Soil that gets better every year. Most of the bag is carbon-rich organic matter: plant meals, seaweed and biochar that feed soil life and build structure.
- Calcium and sulphur built in. Gypsum and bone meal supply them. The Q4 label lists magnesium and trace elements, but no calcium or sulphur.
- Less to put down. 100 g per m² for a base application, against 140 g of Q4.
- No scorch at the recommended rates. Soil microbes release the nutrients as they break the meals down, so there is no surge of soluble salts at the roots.
- Every ingredient on the label. Ten organic inputs, formulated and blended in small batches in Stockport and packed in a compostable bag.
Side by side
| Vitax Q4 | Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Pellets. Labelled a compound fertiliser containing organic material | Granular, blended from ten organic ingredients |
| NPK | 5.3-7.5-10 | 4-4-4 |
| Also carries | Magnesium, boron, copper, iron, manganese | Calcium, magnesium, sulphur, seaweed, humic acid, biochar |
| How you feed | 140 g per m² before planting, then 70 g per m² once or twice in summer | 100 g per m², every 6 weeks, up to 3 times a season |
| Animal ingredients | Not stated on the label | Bone meal |
| Packs | 0.9 kg, 2.5 kg, 4.5 kg (£15.00 to £26.99) | 1.5 kg £12.00, 4 kg £24.50, 9 kg £46.00 |
Vitax Q4 analysis and directions from the pack label, checked 13 Nov 2026.
How to switch
Use All Purpose 4-4-4 wherever you would reach for Q4, at a lower rate:
| Where | Rate | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Beds, borders, allotments | 100 g per m², worked into the top 5 to 10 cm | Every 6 weeks while growing, up to 3 times a season |
| Potting up | 5 g per litre of compost. Heavy feeders: up to 10 g | Once, at potting |
| Pots and baskets in growth | 2 g per litre of pot, scattered on top | Every 4 weeks, from 6 weeks after potting |
A handful is 40 to 50 g; a level tablespoon is 12 to 15 g. Water in every time.
Need help with a particular plant? Our How to Grow Plants guides cover 194 plants, from sowing to harvest.
When Vitax Q4 makes sense
- You want one potash-led tub for tomatoes, fruit and show blooms.
- You follow Q4's label rates for fruit trees and bushes and they work for you.
- You want the lowest cost over a full season. Q4 comes in lower once the summer applications are counted.
- You prefer a hard, low-dust pellet. Ours is a fine granular feed.
Common questions
What is the closest Dr Forest match to Vitax Q4?
Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 for general feeding of veg, fruit, flowers and shrubs. The NPK numbers differ because the two contain different things. Q4's 5.3-7.5-10 is a concentrated, potash-led compound feed, so it delivers more NPK per application. Most of a bag of All Purpose 4-4-4 is organic matter: carbon-rich plant meals, seaweed and biochar, with the nutrients held in that material alongside calcium, magnesium and sulphur. Soil microbes break it down and release the nutrients over weeks, and the carbon left behind builds the soil. For the potash-led feeding Q4 is known for on tomatoes and fruit, Dr Forest Fruit & Vegetable Fertiliser 4-5-6 or Organic Tomato Feed 3-4-6 is the closer match.
Is Dr Forest cheaper than Vitax Q4?
About the same for a base application: 51p to 80p per square metre with Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 at 100 g, against 47p to 84p with Vitax Q4 at 140 g from a 4.5 kg tub (prices checked 13 Nov 2026). Over a season Q4 costs less: 93p to £1.68 per square metre against £1.53 to £2.40.
What is Vitax Q4 good for?
General feeding across the garden: veg, fruit, flowers, shrubs and trees. Its 5.3-7.5-10 analysis is led by potash, which suits flowering and fruiting plants in particular. Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 covers the same ground with a balanced analysis and adds calcium and sulphur.
How often should I use Vitax Q4?
The pack label gives 140 g per m² before planting, then 70 g per m² once or twice in summer. Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 goes on at 100 g per m² every 6 weeks while plants are growing, up to 3 times a season.
Is Vitax Q4 organic?
The Q4 label describes it as a compound fertiliser containing organic material. Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4 is blended from ten organic ingredients, including alfalfa meal, bone meal, seaweed and gypsum, and the alfalfa meal and flaxseed meal are certified organic.
Can I use All Purpose 4-4-4 on tomatoes like Q4?
Yes. Tomatoes take the heavy-feeder rate: up to 10 g per litre of compost at potting, then 2 to 3 g per litre every 2 to 3 weeks. Dr Forest Organic Tomato Feed 3-4-6 suits them better once they flower.
More: all brand alternatives · Miracle-Gro All Purpose · Phostrogen Organic · Osmocote
Ready to feed the soil as well?
One balanced bag for beds, borders and pots, at 100 g per square metre.
£12.00 All Purpose 4-4-4, 1.5 kg