If you’re fairly new to gardening, you may well have been astonished at the number of different types of potting compost that are available from even relatively small garden centres and DIY stores, and you may be wondering what are the differences between them. This short guide should help you decide which one is best for you, and give you the confidence to go and buy compost for your garden.

Potting compost is defined as a medium in which to grow plants in pots or other containers. So it’s not really your home-produced compost, although that can work. Most people find it best to buy compost for container planting, as it contains a better balance of nutrients. But what sort should you buy?

Multi-purpose compost is probably most people’s go-to potting compost, and it’s pretty reliable for most plants. But do be aware that all multi-purpose compost is not the same, not even from the same manufacturer. Many of these composts were originally based on peat, but manufacturers are trying to cut down on its use, so are experimenting with different base materials. These can therefore alter year on year, as different and improved peat substitutes become available, or other materials are proven to be less effective as a growing medium. What’s more, multi-purpose compost doesn’t work very well for growing seeds, as the particles can be a bit big, and it can also dry out quite quickly.

 A good alternative is a loam-based compost, such as the John Innes composts. These do have a standard formula, developed by a gardening institute, and have different formulations for different purposes. They tend to be a bit more expensive than multi-purpose, but many people find that’s a price worth paying. The soil base means that they don’t dry out as quickly as multi-purpose compost.

Some multi-purpose composts now have “added John Innes”. This doesn’t actually have a defined meaning, but probably means that they also contain some loam and some added nutrients. This is likely to be a good thing, as loam dries out more slowly than most multi-purpose composts, but you may pay a lot more for that phrase, when you could achieve the same effect by mixing multi-purpose compost with some standard topsoil and adding slow-release fertiliser.

Specialist composts are used for plants that have specific requirements, such as ericaceous plants, which don’t like alkaline soils. They are generally not necessary for your average bedding plants and vegetables. Other specialist composts include mushroom compost and mushroom and manure compost, both of which are good for growing vegetables, as they contain plenty of organic matter. These may be more difficult to come by, but are available from compost suppliers.

So there you have it: a quick guide to potting compost!

First of all, blueberries like very acidic soil. Since most soil is more or less neutral, that means that most garden soil is not suitable, and you’ll therefore need to grow them in pots in ericaceous compost. You can buy compost from most garden centres and compost suppliers. When you first plant your blueberry, choose a container that is about 30cm in diameter, and be prepared to move it to a larger one in a few years’ time.

Secondly, although there are several types of blueberry that are marketed as ‘self-fertile’, some need another cultivar nearby. And whether self-fertile or not, your crop will be much better if you grow two different cultivars close together. This is not hard, as there are plenty of different varieties out there, but check the labels carefully to make sure.

Thirdly, you’ll need to provide food and water. Make sure the pot doesn’t dry out, watering with rainwater if possible. Of course in a drought, any water is better than none, but do try not to use tapwater if you can avoid it. Feed each month with an ericaceous fertiliser. The fruit ripens in stages, so you will need to pick it as it ripens. You may find that you need to net the bushes to protect them from birds, who seem to find blueberries almost irresistible.

Blueberries freeze very well, so you don’t have to worry if you can’t eat them fast enough. If you pop each picking into a freezer container, you can keep adding to it, and you will soon have enough for some great recipes. You can usually cook with them straight from the freezer, even if the recipe doesn’t specifically say that, although you may need to give cakes and muffins a bit longer than the recommended baking time to take account of the fruit being frozen.

Blueberry muffins are a really good use of frozen or fresh blueberries, and there are plenty of recipes out there. My personal favourite is Nigella Lawson’s recipe, because it is very quick and easy to make, but Paul Hollywood of The Great British Bake Off also has a good recipe on the BBC Good Food site. You can also add blueberries to pancake batter for both crepes or Scotch pancakes. It’s an excellent way of getting of your five a day, and with home-grown blueberries, you won’t even feel guilty about the cost!

Ericaceous Compost can seem difficult to understand and adds to things to worry about. It really shouldn't and this article will help to get your head round what Ericaceous Compost is and what Ericacous Compost is used for.

You will probably have heard of ericaceous compost in terms of what you can grow in it. It is an acidic compost, and suitable for growing rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas, heathers, and other plants that dislike alkaline soil, also known as lime-hating plants. The name ‘ericaceous’ comes from the Latin name for heathers, Erica.

Our ericaceous compost has a pH balance which is perfect for growing acid loving plants including blueberries, azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, and heathers. The increasing popularity of blueberry bushes in our gardens and tomatoes in our greenhouses have made this one of the most widely-used and trusted specialist composts on the market. Whether it’s juicy superfoods or the vibrant, striking colour of acer trees, the delicate beauty of camellias, or the hardy, year-round charm of checkerberry, Ericaceous soil improvers offer your garden a healthy dose of low-ph goodness to keep your favourite specimens thriving. Specially formulated to provide a balanced nutritional profile for acid-loving plants, our Ericaceous compost is a great way to compensate for alkaline soil conditions to benefit your plants, while also feeding and nurturing them, regulating moisture and providing effective top dressing.

Ericaceous compost is trusted by experienced gardeners across the country to boost soil’s ph. profile, and keep acid-loving plants thriving!