Fertiliser
Bloom Fertiliser 2-8-4 | Organic High Phosphorus Flowering Feed
High-phosphorus 2-8-4 for flowering and fruiting.
from £12.00
How Organic All Purpose Fertiliser 4-4-4 compares
Full guide and science| All Purpose 4-4-4 | Blood, fish & bone | Plant-based liquid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical NPK role | Balanced 4-4-4: leaf, root and flower together | Often N- and P-led from animal meals; K usually lower unless fortified | Wide range; many are dilute NPK or seaweed-led biostimulants labelled as feed |
| Release | Slow, via soil biology, over weeks | Moderate; blood/fish faster than bone meal phosphorus | Fast when nutrients are soluble; repeat applications common |
| Calcium / magnesium | Bone meal calcium in the blend; magnesium from other meals as formulated | Calcium from bone; magnesium not the headline | Usually little Ca/Mg unless the label adds them |
| Vegan? | No. Includes bone meal | No. Animal by-products | Often yes, if plant-only (check the label) |
Customer highlight
I used this on my first ever grow back a few years ago and i was getting great results whilst only knowing the basics I ran out and went with the biobizz line I’ve since restocked the dr forest and I mix 444 and mineral mix in my soil and top dress with worm castings and either 4-4-4 or 2-8-4 depending on what stage and now only use biobizz if I see deficiencies and need plant availability straight away.. dr forest is the best I’ve ever used there just so simple to use Big up Dr Forest Organics
Editorial highlight from marketplace and store reviews — separate from the full review list below.
All purpose, balanced 4-4-4, Stockport
All Purpose 4-4-4: one balanced feed for the whole garden
All Purpose 4-4-4 is a balanced all purpose organic fertiliser that feeds almost everything in the garden from a single bag: vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, shrubs and container plants. An even ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash covers leaf, root and flower together, released slowly through soil biology so there are no salt spikes and no scorched roots. Dr Forest formulates and blends this organic plant food in Stockport from ten organic inputs, with slow-release phosphorus and calcium from bone meal and natural biostimulants from Scottish seaweed and alfalfa.
Balanced 4-4-4 NPK 10 Organic Inputs Veg · Fruit · Flowers Slow & Steady Release Pots, Beds & Allotments Blended in Stockport
Stage feeding?
If you stage feed, this is for you. Our feeding schedule and calculator pairs All Purpose 4-4-4 with Bloom 2-8-4 week by week. Enter your pot size for exact doses, the bags to buy and the cost per plant.
Coming from Gaia Green, Ecothrive Soil Food or Dr Organics? Compare our UK blends on the Gaia Green alternative, Ecothrive Soil Food alternative and Dr Organics alternative pages.
Compare
How it compares with blood, fish and bone, and plant-based liquids
Use this table to see where a balanced 4-4-4 feed sits next to the other common choices.
| All Purpose 4-4-4 | Blood, fish & bone | Plant-based liquid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical NPK role | Balanced 4-4-4: leaf, root and flower together | Often N- and P-led from animal meals; K usually lower unless fortified | Wide range; many are dilute NPK or seaweed-led biostimulants labelled as feed |
| Release | Slow, via soil biology, over weeks | Moderate; blood/fish faster than bone meal phosphorus | Fast when nutrients are soluble; repeat applications common |
| Calcium / magnesium | Bone meal calcium in the blend; magnesium from other meals as formulated | Calcium from bone; magnesium not the headline | Usually little Ca/Mg unless the label adds them |
| Vegan? | No. Includes bone meal | No. Animal by-products | Often yes, if plant-only (check the label) |
It takes over from our Veg 4-4-4. Growers kept using that right across the plot rather than only for leafy growth, so we reformulated it as a true all-purpose feed - the same balanced 4-4-4 ratio, but a new recipe with some different ingredients chosen to suit the whole garden. The even ratio covers the majority of what UK gardeners grow, and the feeding guide simply matches the rate to how hungry each plant is.
It is a granular dry amendment - sprinkle it on or mix it in, with no dissolving, no measuring pH and no weekly liquid feeding. Because the nutrients come from organic meals and slow-release minerals rather than soluble salts, soil microbes release them at the pace the plant demands, building soil health as they go. Compostable packaging, blended in small batches.
4-4-4Balanced NPK
10Organic Inputs
8 wkFeeds Up To
Ca+MgBuilt In
Is this the organic fertiliser to buy if I only want one bag?
Yes - if you want one default all purpose bag for mixed beds, pots and general garden use, start here. The balanced 4-4-4 covers leaf, root and flower together without chasing a different bag for every crop. Honest limits: lawns are better on a lawn specialist; heavy-fruiting tomatoes and peppers do better on Tomato Fertiliser 3-4-6; roses prefer their own Rose & Shrub 5-3-5. If you garden vegan, this is not the bag - it contains bone meal - choose a plant-based or vegan SKU from the organic fertilisers range instead. For the NPK in plain English, see what 4-4-4 means; for more garden questions, the organic fertiliser FAQ.
A granular feed you sprinkle and leave to the soil
Search “all purpose plant food”, “all-purpose fertiliser” or “balanced feed” and you are usually looking for the same job: a steady feed that does not scorch. This bag is a granular organic meal blend: you sprinkle it and soil life releases the nutrients over weeks, with no Miracle-Gro-style soluble liquid to mix each week. British gardeners who want one bag blended in Stockport for the plot, without a fake “lab test” story, land here. Browse crop blends and single nutrients in the organic fertilisers collection when one bag is not enough.
One fertiliser, the whole garden
- Vegetable beds and allotments - feeds brassicas, roots, legumes, alliums and salad crops, with calcium and magnesium most veg feeds leave out.
- Leaf, brassicas, herbs and borders. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chillies are better on their own packs. Roses are better on Rose & Shrub 5-3-5, twice a season.
- Dahlias and flower borders - steady feeding for strong stems, healthy foliage and repeat blooms.
- Pots, containers and hanging baskets - mix in at potting, then top dress as the compost runs down.
- Herbs and leafy greens - gentle, sustained nitrogen for lettuce, spinach, chard, basil and parsley.
- Shrubs, evergreens, hedging and trees - a balanced spring and summer feed for box, yew, laurel, privet, conifers, acers, hydrangeas, ferns and ornamental grasses that have no crop-specific feed of their own.
- No-dig and living-soil plots - feeds the soil food web directly; seaweed, humic acid and biochar build fertility season after season.
Organic dry amendment vs synthetic soluble feed
Dr Forest All Purpose 4-4-4
- 10 organic inputs - several sources per nutrient, for even release
- Feeds through microbial breakdown at the rate plants demand
- Calcium, magnesium and sulphur built in
- Builds soil biology and structure with every application
- No salt build-up; the soil improves rather than degrades
Typical synthetic soluble feed
- Two or three mineral salts, quickly used up
- A spike of availability, then run-off
- Usually no calcium and few trace minerals
- Bypasses the soil food web entirely
- Salt accumulation can harm roots and soil life over time
Formulated and blended in small batches in Stockport, using British ingredients where possible, including Scottish seaweed. No synthetic chemistry.
What's Inside
Ten organic inputs, each with a job to do
This blend draws on ten organic inputs. Every ingredient earns its place - a primary nutrient, a secondary nutrient, or a biological function. Shares below are the proportion of the mix.
0133% of blend
Alfalfa meal
The largest single input, and the carbon backbone of the blend. At a third of the mix, alfalfa is the main source of plant-based organic matter - the carbon that soil microbes feed on and steadily turn into humus, building soil structure, water-holding and long-term fertility. It also carries triacontanol, a natural growth promoter shown to lift chlorophyll and photosynthesis, along with nitrogen, potassium and amino acids that feed soil bacteria. It breaks down at a medium pace, bridging the fast and slow nitrogen sources.
0218% of blend
Bone meal
The main phosphorus and calcium source - around 18% phosphorus (P₂O₅) with a large calcium fraction, released slowly as soil acids and microbes work on it. Phosphorus drives roots, flowering and fruit set; calcium builds firm cell walls. Availability is best in slightly acidic to neutral soil. (Because it contains bone meal, this blend is not suitable for vegan gardening.)
0318% of blend
Nitrogen plant extract
A concentrated plant nitrogen at around 13% N, derived from molasses and rich in amino acids - the early drive of the blend. Amino-acid nitrogen is taken up efficiently and feeds through microbial mineralisation rather than as a soluble salt, so there is no ammonia volatilisation and no EC spike, just a steady release as the soil warms.
0410% of blend
Flaxseed meal
Cold-pressed linseed meal adds a further slow-release nitrogen source plus organic matter and oils that feed the soil microbiome. It rounds out the nitrogen curve and improves the texture and workability of the blend in the soil.
056% of blend
Gypsum
Calcium sulphate - a pH-neutral source of calcium and sulphur. It adds calcium without shifting soil pH, supports cell-wall strength and fruit quality, and helps open up heavier soils.
065.5% of blend
Sulphate of potash
Chloride-free potassium (50% K₂O) with sulphur alongside. Potassium governs water movement, fruit and flower quality and disease resistance - the nutrient fruiting crops draw down hardest - and the sulphate form avoids the chloride that some crops dislike.
075% of blend
Kieserite
Magnesium sulphate - a steady source of magnesium and sulphur. Magnesium sits at the centre of every chlorophyll molecule, so it keeps foliage green; sulphur supports protein and amino-acid synthesis.
082% of blend
Scottish seaweed
Cold-water Ascophyllum nodosum from the Scottish coast. A biostimulant rather than a headline nutrient source, it supplies cytokinins, auxins, alginates and a spread of trace elements that prime the plant's own growth and stress responses.
091% of blend
Humic & fulvic acid
Humic acid raises the soil's cation exchange capacity and improves structure and root growth; fulvic acid is a low-molecular-weight chelator that binds micronutrients into forms roots can take up. A little goes a long way.
101% of blend
Fermented biochar
Pyrolysed carbon with a vast internal surface that houses beneficial microbes. Pre-fermented so it is biologically active from day one, it helps hold nutrients in the root zone and reduce leaching under heavy watering or rain.
How to Use
Feeding guide: light, medium and heavy feeders
Two ways to apply
Soil mix (when potting): 5 g per litre of compost, worked in thoroughly. Heavy feeders: up to 10 g per litre. Top dress (during growth): 2 g per litre of pot volume every 4 weeks, starting 6 weeks after potting, scattered on the surface and watered in. Heavy feeders: 2 to 3 g per litre every 2 to 3 weeks. Water in after every application. As a guide, a level tablespoon holds roughly 12 to 15 g. The three groups below show which plants are heavy feeders. For exact doses by pot size, use the feeding schedule and calculator.
Plants are grouped by how much feeding they need. Light feeders - legumes, root crops and Mediterranean herbs - grow best in leaner soil and can run to leaf or fork if overfed. Brassicas, hanging baskets and patio containers draw nutrients down fast and take the heavy-feeder rate. Light and medium feeders take the standard rate.
Light feeders - lean and steady
Fix their own nitrogen or store food in their roots, so too much feed brings leafy tops, forked roots or fewer flowers.
- Vegetables: peas, broad beans, runner beans, French beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, radishes, turnips, onions, garlic, shallots.
- Herbs: rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, bay, lavender.
- Ornamentals & evergreens: established trees and shrubs, conifers and evergreens, hedging (box, yew, privet, laurel), topiary, acers, ferns, ornamental grasses, alpines, nasturtiums and wildflower areas.
Medium feeders - the everyday majority
Steady demand through the season, happy on a balanced feed.
- Vegetables: potatoes, sweetcorn, salad leaves, lettuce, spinach, chard, rocket, kale, leeks.
- Fruit: strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, gooseberries, blueberries. This is not an ericaceous feed: keep them in ericaceous compost or acid soil and stay at the standard rate.
- Flowers & shrubs: hardy annuals, cosmos, sweet peas, sunflowers, geraniums, petunias, most herbaceous perennials and bedding, flowering shrubs (hydrangea, hebe, viburnum) and climbers (wisteria, honeysuckle, jasmine).
Heavy feeders - hungry and fast
High, sustained demand, especially in pots, grow bags and baskets where roots are confined and watering leaches nutrients away.
- If this is the only bag: tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, marrows, pumpkins, squash, peppers, chillies and aubergines can use it. Their own packs suit them better.
- Brassicas: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.
- Hungry crops & flowers: rhubarb, celery, dahlias, chrysanthemums, clematis, hanging baskets and patio containers. Roses do better on two dressings a season of Rose & Shrub 5-3-5.
Outdoor beds, borders and allotments
Scatter evenly, work lightly into the top 5 to 10 cm and water in after every application. A handful is roughly 40 to 50 g.
Step by step
- Prepare the soil. When potting, mix All Purpose 4-4-4 into the compost at 5 g per litre, or up to 10 g per litre for heavy feeders. On beds and borders, scatter 100 g per m².
- Match the rate to the plant. Light and medium feeders take the standard rate; heavy feeders take the higher rates shown for their group above.
- Water in. After every application, water well - moisture activates the soil biology that releases the nutrients.
- Watch the plant. Lower leaves fading from deep green to pale, or growth slowing, show the last dressing is running down.
- Repeat through the season. Keep to the frequency for the feeder group; ease off as crops finish or plants go dormant.
Five common mistakes
1. Overfeeding light feeders - beans and carrots want lean soil. 2. Underfeeding pots - confined roots and frequent watering empty a container fast. 3. Expecting an overnight response - this feeds over weeks. 4. Applying to bone-dry soil - always water in. 5. Feeding dormant plants in winter - wait until growth restarts in spring.
Works well combined with…
Pair with Sulphate of Potash for a potash lift on tomatoes, roses and fruit as they flower and set, and with Seaweed Plant Food for extra biostimulant during heat or transplant stress, or mix Seaweed Extract Powder into water as a soluble foliar. For fruiting crops that want more phosphorus and potash later on, our Fruit & Vegetable Fertiliser 4-5-6 carries them through to harvest.
Storage
Keep the bag sealed in a cool, dry place. As a natural product it may vary slightly in colour and texture between batches, and the odd seed may sprout if left damp - neither affects performance. It contains bone meal, which some dogs find tempting, so store out of reach of children and pets.
Packs, delivery and returns
Sold in 1.5 kg, 4 kg, 9 kg, 15 kg, 30 kg and 60 kg packs. Delivery is free on UK orders of £40 and over. Unopened packs can be returned within 30 days of delivery; return postage is yours unless the pack arrived damaged or you were sent the wrong item, in which case we replace or refund it. Full terms are in our refund policy.
The Science
Why a balanced 4-4-4 works across so many plants
Nitrogen builds leaves and stems, phosphorus drives roots and flower set, potassium governs water movement, fruit quality and disease resistance. Nearly every plant needs all three throughout its life; what changes between crops is the quantity. A balanced 4-4-4 supplies the full range, and the feeding rate is matched to demand.
Because the nutrients are held in organic matter and slow-release minerals rather than soluble salts, soil microbes release them as the plant's roots call for them. That is why one bag suits a hungry courgette and a lean-feeding carrot: the plant and its root-zone biology set the pace.
Feed the soil, and the soil feeds the plant - at the rate each crop actually demands.
Mechanisms of action
01
Five nitrogen sources, released steadily
An amino-acid nitrogen extract derived from molasses (13% N) gives the early drive, while alfalfa, flaxseed meal, bone meal and seaweed release nitrogen more slowly through microbial mineralisation (Cassity-Duffey et al., 2020). Staggered release means healthy growth without the soft, sappy, pest-prone tissue that a single hit of soluble nitrogen produces.
02
Slow-release phosphorus and calcium
Bone meal supplies phosphorus (around 18% P₂O₅) alongside a large dose of calcium, released as soil acids and microbes work on it. Phosphorus is the core of ATP, driving root development, cell division and flower and fruit set. Availability is highest in slightly acidic to neutral soil (Penn & Camberato, 2019).
03
Chloride-free potash
Sulphate of potash (50% K₂O) delivers potassium in a chloride-free form with sulphur alongside, topped up by potassium in alfalfa and seaweed. Sulphate-based potassium suits chloride-sensitive crops such as tomatoes, strawberries and potatoes.
04
Calcium, magnesium and sulphur built in
Gypsum (calcium sulphate) and kieserite (magnesium sulphate) supply the calcium, magnesium and sulphur most all-purpose feeds omit, with more calcium from the bone meal. Most liquid feeds contain no calcium at all - a key gap this blend closes. Magnesium sits at the centre of chlorophyll; sulphur drives protein synthesis.
05
Seaweed biostimulant
Scottish seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) supplies cytokinins, auxins, alginates and trace elements. Reviews of seaweed biostimulants report gains in growth, yield and crop quality across a range of crops (Khan et al., 2009; Ali et al., 2021).
06
Triacontanol from alfalfa
Alfalfa carries triacontanol, a natural plant growth regulator linked in the literature to higher chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate (Naeem et al., 2012), on top of the nitrogen and amino acids it contributes.
07
Humic substances feed the biology
Humic and fulvic acids stimulate root growth and microbial activity and improve nutrient uptake (Nardi et al., 2002; Canellas & Olivares, 2014); they also raise the soil's cation exchange capacity. Fulvic acid chelates micronutrients into plant-available forms.
08
Biochar holds nutrients in place
Fermented biochar's vast internal surface provides habitat for soil microbes (Lehmann et al., 2011) and helps hold nutrients in the root zone, so less drains away after heavy watering or rain.
09
Alfalfa: the carbon backbone that builds soil
At a third of the blend, alfalfa is the main organic-carbon feedstock - the raw material soil microbes live on. As they consume it, part of that carbon is stabilised as soil organic matter, the humus fraction that holds water, resists compaction and stores nutrients on the soil's exchange sites. Feeding the soil organic carbon this way builds that fraction over repeated seasons, so fertility compounds rather than running down.
Organic versus synthetic - the evidence
Dry organic feeding builds soil rather than depleting it. A global meta-analysis found organic fertilisation raised plant biomass by 56% while maintaining plant diversity, where inorganic-only feeding raised biomass 42% but cut species richness by 18% (Shi et al., 2024). Organic feeding also tends to lower nitrate accumulation in leafy crops compared with synthetic nitrogen, and long-term trials such as Rothamsted's Park Grass show organic plots holding or improving while mineral-only plots decline.
Scientific references
- Khan, W. et al. (2009). Seaweed extracts as biostimulants of plant growth and development. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 28, 386-399.
- Ali, O., Ramsubhag, A. & Jayaraman, J. (2021). Biostimulant properties of seaweed extracts in plants: implications towards sustainable crop production. Plants, 10(3), 531.
- Naeem, M. et al. (2012). Triacontanol: a potent plant growth regulator in agriculture. Journal of Plant Interactions, 7(2), 129-142.
- Nardi, S., Pizzeghello, D., Muscolo, A. & Vianello, A. (2002). Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 34, 1527-1536.
- Canellas, L. & Olivares, F. (2014). Physiological responses to humic substances as plant growth promoter. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 1, 3.
- Lehmann, J. et al. (2011). Biochar effects on soil biota - a review. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 43(9), 1812-1836.
- Penn, C. & Camberato, J. (2019). A critical review on soil pH and phosphorus availability. Agriculture, 9(6), 120.
- Cassity-Duffey, K. et al. (2020). Nitrogen mineralisation from organic materials and fertilisers. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 84, 522-533.
- Shi, T.-S. et al. (2024). A global meta-analysis on the effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on grasslands and croplands. Nature Communications, 15, 3411.
Figures describe the published literature on these ingredient classes and are not product-specific yield guarantees.
Questions & Answers
Frequently asked questions
For mixed planting across veg, fruit, flowers, herbs and containers, a balanced 4-4-4 is the sensible start, with no need for a different bag for every plant. This All Purpose feed is 4% nitrogen, 4% phosphorus, 4% potash with ten named organic inputs, so one bag covers leaf, root and flower together. Use it as the default plant-out feed; switch to a crop blend or single nutrient only when the seasonal job is clear (fruiting push, nitrogen correction, and so on). Browse the full range on organic fertilisers.
A balanced organic plant food with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potash (4% each). That even ratio feeds leaf, root and flower, so one product covers vegetables, fruit, flowers, herbs, shrubs and container plants. Ours is a granular dry amendment of ten organic inputs, formulated and blended in Stockport. It is the successor to the old Veg 4-4-4 ratio, reformulated as a true all-purpose garden feed.
Mix 5 g per litre of compost when potting, or up to 10 g per litre for heavy feeders. Top dress at 2 g per litre of pot volume every 4 weeks, starting 6 weeks after potting; heavy feeders take 2 to 3 g per litre every 2 to 3 weeks. On beds and borders, use 100 g per m², every 6 weeks while growing, up to 3 times a season. Water in after every application. The feeding guide under How to Use shows which plants are heavy feeders. Always prefer the rate printed on the pack in front of you.
An initial soil-mix charge feeds most plants for up to about 8 weeks. The faster inputs (nitrogen extract, alfalfa) start working within days. The slower ones (bone meal, gypsum) keep releasing a little phosphorus and calcium after that. The first top dress goes on 6 weeks after potting, before the charge runs down. It is a steady feed: judge it over weeks in warm, moist soil. Cold ground stalls microbial release.
Very unlikely at the recommended rates: release is microbial rather than a soluble-salt spike. Keep granules off stems, water top-dresses in, and do not heap it on because growth looks slow after a week. Overdoing nitrogen still pushes soft, floppy growth; stick to the published band above.
It is blended from organic ingredients and is not certified organic. It is a fine granular dry amendment - sprinkle it on or mix it in, with no dissolving, measuring or pH testing.
No. It contains bone meal as a slow-release phosphorus and calcium source, so it is not suitable for vegan gardening. For plant-based options, see seaweed and mineral products, or Organic Nitrogen Fertiliser (plant-based amino-acid nitrogen) when the job is a nitrogen correction.
Yes for leaf crops, brassicas, herbs, salads and a mixed border. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chillies are usually better on their own crop packs once fruiting. Roses do best on their own feed, our Rose & Shrub 5-3-5. Feeding detail for beds vs pots is on this page’s rate table.
Granular All Purpose is the base feed: work it in at planting, feed beds every 6 weeks while growing (up to 3 times a season) and top dress pots every 4 weeks (every 2 to 3 weeks for heavy feeders), then stop when growth slows. Liquids suit a mid-season top-up when a pot looks hungry - they act faster and fade faster.
Treat it as a sealed store-cupboard fertiliser: keep the bag sealed and out of pets' reach, keep it off play surfaces, and wash hands after handling. It contains bone meal, which dogs find very tempting and will dig for. Work it into the soil rather than leaving it on the surface, keep dogs off newly fed beds, and if a dog eats a quantity call your vet. Watering in alone does not remove that risk. Avoid creating dust clouds near hives on windy days.
It is the successor to Veg 4-4-4, with a new recipe. We kept the balanced 4-4-4 ratio that growers liked and reformulated it as a true all-purpose feed, with some different ingredients chosen to suit the whole garden.
Fruit & Veg 4-5-6 has extra phosphorus and potash tuned for fruiting and cropping edibles. All Purpose 4-4-4 is fully balanced for the whole garden - leaf, root and flower alike - so it suits everything from flower borders to the veg patch from a single bag. Choose 4-4-4 as your general feed; add 4-5-6 or a potash feed to push a specific fruiting crop.
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