What is 4-4-4 organic fertiliser?
A feed carrying 4% nitrogen, 4% phosphate and 4% potash: an even, balanced analysis that suits general growth and leafy crops, and is hard to overdo.
To browse crop blends and single nutrients together, open the organic fertilisers collection.
Handcrafted in Stockport
All Purpose Fertiliser 4-4-4
4% nitrogen, 4% phosphate, 4% potash, from ten named inputs. 1.5kg from £12
Shop All Purpose 4-4-4What the three numbers mean
The numbers on any fertiliser are always nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in that order, given as percentages by weight. By convention phosphorus is expressed as P₂O₅ and potassium as K₂O rather than as the elements themselves, which is why the figures look higher than the elemental content.
Equal numbers mean no nutrient is being pushed. That is the point of a 4-4-4: it covers general growth without tipping a plant towards leaf at the expense of flower, or the reverse.
What it suits, and what it does not
It suits leafy vegetables, young plants, shrubs, hedges, trees and mixed beds where several things are growing at once. It is the sensible default when you do not have a soil test and do not want to guess.
It is not the right choice when a crop has a clear bias. Tomatoes, strawberries and chillies want more potassium from flowering onwards, so a potassium-led feed does more for them. A lawn wants far more nitrogen than 4%. If you are correcting a specific shortage, a single ingredient is more precise than any blend.
How to apply it
| Use | Rate | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Beds and borders | 100 to 300g per square metre | Every 4 to 6 weeks in the growing season |
| Mixed into compost | 5 to 10g per litre of soil or compost, worked in thoroughly | Once, at potting or planting |
| Top dressing pots | 2 to 4g per litre of soil, scattered on the surface and watered in | Through the growing season |
| Light feeders | Lower end of the range | Every 5 to 6 weeks, or once per season |
| Medium feeders | Middle of the range | Every 3 to 4 weeks in the growing season |
| Heavy feeders | Upper end of the range | Every 2 to 3 weeks in full growth |
Rates for Dr Forest All Purpose Fertiliser 4-4-4, as published on the product page. Other feeds differ, so always use the rate on the pack in front of you.
Why 4-4-4 is hard to overdo
Two reasons. The analysis is modest, so even a generous application delivers less nitrogen than a smaller dose of a concentrated feed. And the nutrients are released by soil organisms over weeks rather than dissolving on contact, so there is no salt spike around the roots.
That said, more is not better. Too much nitrogen still gives soft growth that flops, attracts aphids and is slow to flower. Stick to the rates and water in.
The 4-4-4 in question
All Purpose Fertiliser 4-4-4
Ten named inputs at a balanced 4-4-4, with calcium, magnesium and sulphur alongside the headline three. Hand-blended in small batches in Stockport.
Balanced 4-4-4 · Feeds for 6 to 8 weeks · Rates published for beds and pots
Shop All Purpose 4-4-4More organic fertiliser questions
What is the best organic fertiliser?What is the best organic fertiliser high in nitrogen?How do you use organic fertiliser?Sources
- Royal Horticultural Society. Fertilisers: types and uses. rhs.org.uk
Soil notes
Get the evidence, not the marketing
Occasional notes from Stockport on feeding, soil structure and what the research actually supports, including the things that turn out not to work.
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