What is John Innes No 1 used for?
John Innes Compost No 1 This mix is suitable for young plants. It is used for pricking out or potting-up young seedlings or rooted cuttings and short-term potting such as for bedding plants or vegetable transplants which will subsequently be planted out. Westland Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes is suitable for growing all plants; from seeds to flowers to fruit and vegetables. This compost is also great for seed sowing, containers and pots.Unless you have no soil, it is not necessary to use John Innes compost, which is mostly soil-based. Any compost can be used again as long as it have not got any plant diseases.Soils with excessive compost tend to have elevated phosphorus concentrations as well. Stick to nitrogen-only fertilizer sources (ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate, urea, blood meal) until your calcium, potassium, and phosphorus levels have come back down.While adding compost to your soil can increase soil organic matter and improve soil health and fertility, too much compost can cause problems for the health of your plants and the environment.
Why is it called John Innes?
The range of John Innes composts were originally developed in the 1930’s at the John Innes Horticultural Research Institute, named after the 19th century developer and philanthropist, John Innes, who bequeathed his fortune to the improvement of horticulture. This good absorption and release of water and nutrients is sometimes referred to as having a high level of “buffering”. These qualities make John Innes composts ideal for long-lived plants kept in containers for more than one growing season.John Innes Compost No 1 This mix is suitable for young plants. It is used for pricking out or potting-up young seedlings or rooted cuttings and short-term potting such as for bedding plants or vegetable transplants which will subsequently be planted out.John Innes Compost No 2 This mix contains double the amount of nutrient in John Innes No 1 to suit established plants. It is suitable for most houseplants and vegetable plants in containers.The range of John Innes composts were originally developed in the 1930’s at the John Innes Horticultural Research Institute, named after the 19th century developer and philanthropist, John Innes, who bequeathed his fortune to the improvement of horticulture.
What do the John Innes numbers mean?
So it is now possible to buy John Innes composts in the four standard blends, Seed, no. John Innes No 1 is designed for pricking out or potting on young seedlings or rooted cuttings. It contains a low, carefully balanced amount of fertilizer to give enough for growth but avoid scorching the delicate young roots.This compost has a rich, nutrient content making it suitable for vigorous plants such as Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Geraniums, Fuchsias and most house plants. It is easy to water and re-wet and the high loam content acts as a buffer for nutrients to help stabilise plants in pots and containers. Loam Based Compost This is a firm compost, designed to hold the plants growing in place and at the same time allow excess water to drain freely away. This is great for hardwood cuttings, semi ripe cuttings and plants like pelargoniums.This compost has a rich, nutrient content making it suitable for vigorous plants such as Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Geraniums, Fuchsias and most house plants. It is easy to water and re-wet and the high loam content acts as a buffer for nutrients to help stabilise plants in pots and containers.