• Organic Liquid Seedling Fertiliser — 500ml grey opaque bottle with black cap; kraft label: Dr Forest Liquid Seed Fertiliser
1 1

Dr Forest

Liquid Seedling Fertiliser

£20.99
£20.99
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.
size
  • ✓Free UK delivery on orders over £40
  • ✓Handcrafted and dispatched from Stockport
  • ✓Made with organic ingredients
  • ✓No-quibble returns

Dr Forest customers rate us 4.96/5 · 3,543+ reviews & ratings across Shopify, Amazon, Google, Trustpilot and eBay

Liquid seed & seedling fertiliser — calcium, micronutrients & biostimulants for early vigour

4.13% Calcium 6 Micronutrients Humic & Fulvic Acid Seed Soak & Drench Root Stimulator Recycled Plastic Bottle

The first 48 hours after germination define the trajectory of the entire crop. A seed that emerges fast, roots deep, and establishes without stress produces a fundamentally stronger plant than one that stumbles through the early stages. This liquid formulation is designed specifically for that critical window — delivering calcium for cell wall construction, micronutrients for enzyme activation, and humic and fulvic acids as biostimulants directly to the seed and emerging root.

Use it as a seed soak before sowing, a seedling dip at transplanting, or a root drench immediately after planting. The calcium-rich formula (4.13% Ca) provides the structural mineral most needed during the rapid cell division of germination and early root growth, while iron, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum ensure the enzymatic machinery is running from the start — not playing catch-up weeks later.

4.13%Calcium (Ca)
1.24%Sulphur (S)
6Micronutrients
Humic& Fulvic Acid

Guaranteed analysis

Nutrient Content
Calcium (Ca) 4.13%
Sulphur (S) 1.24%
Potassium (K) — organic 2,667 mg/L
Magnesium (Mg) 734 mg/L
Iron (Fe) 160 mg/L
Zinc (Zn) 71 mg/L
Manganese (Mn) 64 mg/L
Molybdenum (Mo) 8 mg/L

SG: 1.1  |  pH: 8–9  |  Appearance: thick brown liquid

What this seed fertiliser is used for

  • Seed soaking before sowing — delivers calcium, micronutrients, and biostimulants directly to the seed coat, accelerating germination and producing seedlings with stronger root systems from day one
  • Seedling dip at transplanting — coating roots with a nutrient-rich biostimulant solution reduces transplant shock and promotes rapid re-establishment in the new growing medium
  • Root drench after planting — applied to the root zone immediately after sowing or transplanting, it feeds the emerging root system with calcium for cell wall construction and micronutrients for enzyme activation
  • Improving germination rates — humic and fulvic acids increase cell membrane permeability, accelerating water and nutrient imbibition by the seed; documented to improve both speed and uniformity of emergence
  • Early root mass development — calcium is the primary structural mineral in new cell walls; adequate supply during the rapid cell division of germination produces more extensive root systems earlier
  • Seedling stress resistance — micronutrients and biostimulants prime the plant's enzymatic defence systems from the earliest growth stages, improving resilience to cold, drought, and damping-off

Why a dedicated seed fertiliser matters

Dedicated Seed & Seedling Formula — this product

  • Calcium-rich (4.13%) — the mineral most needed during rapid cell division
  • Full micronutrient suite including molybdenum for nitrogen metabolism
  • Humic and fulvic acids improve seed imbibition and root cell permeability
  • Designed for the specific nutrient demands of germination and establishment
  • Safe for direct seed contact at recommended dilution
  • Three application methods: seed soak, seedling dip, root drench

General-Purpose Liquid Fertiliser

  • Nitrogen-led — promotes leafy growth, not root establishment
  • Often too concentrated for direct seed contact — risk of burn
  • No biostimulant component for germination enhancement
  • Micronutrients absent or present only at background levels
  • Designed for established plants, not the germination window
Handcrafted in Stockport

Every Dr Forest product is made by hand in small batches at our workshop in Stockport, Greater Manchester. We source ingredients for quality, not cost. Supplied in recycled plastic bottles.

The science of seed nutrition: why the first 48 hours matter most

The germination bottleneck

A germinating seed is building an entire plant from scratch — cell walls, root tips, chloroplasts, enzymes — using only the nutrient reserves stored in its endosperm and whatever it can scavenge from the immediate soil environment. If the surrounding soil is deficient in calcium, zinc, manganese, or molybdenum, the seedling's enzymatic machinery stalls before it even reaches the surface. The mineral requirements at germination are tiny in absolute terms, but the consequences of deficiency at this stage are disproportionately large.

01

Calcium — Cell Wall Construction

Every new cell requires calcium to build its wall. Calcium cross-links pectin chains in the middle lamella — the structural cement between cells. During the explosive cell division of germination, calcium demand per unit of tissue is at its highest. Seeds germinating in calcium-poor conditions produce weaker cell walls, thinner root tips, and seedlings more susceptible to damping-off and mechanical damage. Providing calcium directly at the seed via soaking or drenching ensures it is available precisely where and when it is needed.

02

Manganese — The Seed Energiser

Manganese is critical for the activation of enzymes involved in the mobilisation of seed storage reserves. It is required for the splitting of water molecules in photosystem II — the very first step of photosynthesis once the cotyledons green up. Manganese-deficient seedlings are slow to emerge, slow to green, and slow to begin photosynthesising independently. A seed treatment with manganese has been shown to improve both germination speed and early seedling vigour in numerous published trials.

03

Zinc — Auxin Production & Leaf Size

Zinc is required for the production of auxins — the plant hormones that govern root tip elongation and leaf expansion. A zinc-deficient seedling produces smaller leaves (smaller solar panels) and shorter roots (a smaller scavenging network). Because zinc is immobile in most soils — locked up by pH, phosphorus, and clay — providing it directly at the seed bypasses soil availability problems entirely and gives the seedling a head start on building the root and leaf surface area it needs.

04

Molybdenum — Nitrogen Metabolism From Day One

Molybdenum is the co-factor for nitrate reductase — the enzyme that converts absorbed nitrate into ammonium for protein synthesis. Without Mo, the seedling cannot metabolise nitrogen, regardless of how much nitrogen is available in the soil. Molybdenum requirements are tiny (8 mg/L in this formula) but the consequences of deficiency are severe: stunted growth, pale foliage, and poor root development that masquerades as nitrogen deficiency.

05

Humic & Fulvic Acids — Biostimulant Effect

Humic and fulvic acids increase cell membrane permeability, accelerating the imbibition of water and dissolved nutrients by the seed coat. Published research demonstrates that humic substances applied as seed treatments improve germination rate, speed of emergence, and root length in the first 7–14 days. Fulvic acid also acts as a natural chelator, keeping iron, zinc, and manganese in plant-available form in the zone immediately surrounding the seed — the few millimetres of soil that matter most during germination.

06

Iron — Chlorophyll & Enzyme Systems

Iron is required for chlorophyll synthesis and is a component of cytochromes, ferredoxin, and other electron carriers in the photosynthetic and respiratory chains. Once the cotyledons emerge and begin greening, iron demand rises sharply. Seedlings in iron-poor conditions develop interveinal chlorosis within days of emergence — a deficit that compounds as the plant falls behind its photosynthetic potential from the outset.

Scientific References

  1. Marschner, P. (2012). Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3rd ed. Academic Press.
  2. Nardi, S. et al. (2009). Physiological effects of humic substances on higher plants. Soil Biol. Biochem., 41, 215–229.
  3. Jindo, K. et al. (2012). Root growth promotion by humic acids from composted and non-composted urban organic wastes. Plant and Soil, 353, 209–220.
  4. Canellas, L.P. et al. (2015). Humic and fulvic acids as biostimulants in horticulture. Scientia Horticulturae, 196, 15–27.

How to use: seed soak, seedling dip & root drench

Shake well before every use

This is a concentrated liquid with suspended mineral particles. Shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds before measuring. When diluting, add the fertiliser to a small amount of warm water (20–30°C) and stir for at least 30 seconds before topping up to the full volume. This ensures thorough mixing and uniform application.

Application methods

Seed soak — before sowing

Rate: 3–3.5 ml per litre of water  |  Duration: Soak seeds for 6–12 hours before planting

Submerge seeds in the diluted solution and leave for 6–12 hours. Drain and sow immediately — do not rinse. The humic and fulvic acids accelerate water imbibition through the seed coat while calcium and micronutrients are absorbed directly. Expect faster and more uniform emergence compared to untreated seed.

Seedling dip — at transplanting

Rate: 10 ml per litre of water (1:100 dilution)  |  Method: Dip roots before planting

Prepare the solution and dip seedling roots for 10–30 seconds before transplanting into the final position. This coats the root system with a nutrient-rich biostimulant film that promotes rapid re-establishment, reduces transplant shock, and feeds the root zone biology in the critical first days after planting.

Root drench — after planting

Rate: 3–3.5 ml per litre of water  |  Application: 1 litre of diluted solution per m²

Apply immediately after sowing or transplanting. Pour the diluted solution directly over the planted area at a rate of 1 litre per square metre. This delivers calcium and micronutrients to the root zone where the emerging root tips will access them first. Follow with normal watering to settle the soil around seeds or transplants.

Step-by-step for seed soaking

  1. Shake the bottle vigorously. The suspension settles during storage — shake for 15–20 seconds before measuring.
  2. Measure 3–3.5 ml per litre of water. For a standard bowl or tray, 1 litre of solution is usually sufficient for a batch of seeds. Use warm water (20–30°C) for mixing.
  3. Add seeds and soak for 6–12 hours. Small seeds (lettuce, brassicas) need 6 hours. Larger seeds (peas, beans, sweetcorn) benefit from 10–12 hours. Do not exceed 12 hours.
  4. Drain and sow immediately. Do not rinse the seeds — the nutrient residue on the seed coat continues to feed the emerging root. Sow into moist compost or soil as normal.
  5. Optional: apply a root drench after sowing. Use the same dilution rate (3–3.5 ml/L) to water the tray or bed after sowing for maximum early nutrition.
When to use this product

This is a starter fertiliser — designed for the first 2–4 weeks of a plant's life. It is not a replacement for ongoing feeding. Once seedlings are established and growing strongly, transition to a Dr Forest crop-specific fertiliser (Tomato, Rose & Flower, All-Purpose 6-6-6, etc.) for the vegetative and fruiting phases.

Works well combined with…

Follow up with Seaweed Powder as a fortnightly biostimulant drench once seedlings are established. Use Cal-Mino for ongoing foliar calcium during fruiting. For soil-applied baseline nutrition, incorporate Yorkshire Polyhalite or Dr Forest crop-specific blends into the compost or soil before planting.

Frequently asked questions

No. At the recommended dilution rates, this formulation is specifically designed to be safe for direct seed contact and young seedlings. The nutrient concentrations are calibrated for the tiny quantities needed at germination — not the heavy feeding levels used for established plants. Do not exceed the stated rates.
All seeds benefit, but the greatest improvements are typically seen in larger seeds with hard coats (peas, beans, sweetcorn, squash) and in crops that are sensitive to micronutrient deficiency from the start (brassicas, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce). Seed soaking is also particularly valuable when sowing into cold or marginal conditions where germination is naturally slower.
This is a starter fertiliser formulated for the germination and establishment phase. It is not designed as an ongoing feed — the nutrient profile emphasises calcium and micronutrients rather than the N-P-K required for sustained vegetative growth and fruiting. Once seedlings are established, transition to a Dr Forest crop-specific fertiliser for the rest of the season.
Calcium is the primary structural mineral in plant cell walls. During germination, the rate of new cell production is at its highest — every new root tip cell, every cell in the emerging shoot, requires calcium to build its wall. Providing calcium directly at the seed ensures it is available during this critical construction phase rather than relying on slow soil-to-root uptake.
Humic and fulvic acids increase cell membrane permeability, accelerating the uptake of water and dissolved nutrients by the seed. Fulvic acid also acts as a natural chelator, keeping iron, zinc, and manganese in plant-available form in the zone immediately surrounding the seed. Published research consistently shows that humic substance seed treatments improve germination rate, speed of emergence, and early root development.
Small seeds (lettuce, brassicas, herbs): 6 hours. Medium seeds (tomatoes, peppers, flowers): 6–8 hours. Large seeds (peas, beans, sweetcorn, squash): 10–12 hours. Do not exceed 12 hours — prolonged soaking can reduce oxygen availability and impair germination.
This product is non-toxic when used as directed. Avoid contact with eyes and skin, and wash hands after handling. Keep out of reach of children. Once diluted and applied, the treated area is safe for normal garden use.
Store upright in a cool, dry place between 5–25°C, out of direct sunlight. Keep sealed. Shake vigorously before each use — the suspension settles during storage. Do not store diluted solution — mix fresh for each application.
Yes. This product is supplied in recycled plastic bottles.
View full details
From 4,172 real Dr Forest orders

Often bought with this