The word ‘compost’ comes from ‘composite’, and it means a mixture of decomposed organic substances. The word is widely used to describe a whole range of suitable growing media for gardening purposes, including home-produced compost from kitchen waste, general purpose compost, potting compost and specialist composts such as mushroom compost or ericaceous compost.

Compost can be used as a growing medium by itself, for example, in pots, plant containers or raised beds. You can buy compost for this purpose from garden centres or compost suppliers, and a wide range of suitable options are available, depending on what you want to use it for. For example, mushroom compost, or mushroom and manure compost are very good options for growing vegetables in raised beds. Mushroom compost consists of composted straw and animal waste that has been used for growing mushrooms, and then treated to destroy any spores. Mushroom and manure compost consists of mushroom compost with added manure. Both of these therefore have plenty of organic matter and nutrients suitable for vegetables.

You can also use compost as a soil improver in gardens or on allotments. Adding organic matter to soil has long been recognised as a way to improve soil structure, whether the soil is silty, clay or sandy. Whatever the structure, the organic matter seems to make the soil closer to the ideal soil, loam, with its mid-range particle size, close-to-neutral pH and good but not excessive drainage. You may consider it a bit extravagant to buy compost just to add it to your soil, and many gardeners choose to use farmyard manure for this purpose. However, if you’ve made your own compost from kitchen waste, it can feel very satisfying to use it to improve your garden beds, especially if it’s to grow vegetables!

If you want to grow ericaceous plants in pots, you will need ericaceous compost, which is acidic and so ideal for these plants, which dislike alkaline soil. If your plants are less specialist in their requirements, you may find that the ideal compost is multi-purpose compost or one of the John Innes Composts (a loam-based compost). These were formulated by the John Innes Institute for Plant Research, and contain the ideal balance of nutrients for plants at different stages, whether seeds, potting on, or mature plants. Because they are loam-based, they don’t dry out as quickly as some other composts. However, they’re made to standard formulae, and at present include peat, so if you want to go entirely peat-free, these may not be for you unless you can find a peat-free version.

Whatever you want from compost, there are so many varieties out there that you’re bound to find a suitable sort for your purpose.

Canes or sticks and string: Chillies are one of the many home grown foods that require something to support them. When they are smaller plants, they may flop under their own weight, whereas larger chilli plants may flop purely under the weight of their fruits. Tying them loosely to a garden cane or a large twig from your garden waste is usually enough to prevent a falling plant.

Troughs: Since your chillies should be grown indoors rather than in the soil for best results, you will need some pots or troughs to put them in. Troughs are better in greenhouses to maximise space, but they might look better in a nice round tub if kept in the home.

Clingfilm: Useful for keeping heat and moisture in seeding trays to help your baby chilli plants to germinate.

Capillary Matting: Roots may grow better and stronger if watered from below.

When your first chillies have grown, cut them from the plant while they are green. By doing this, your plant should continue to fruit right through the season (which is between July and October).

If you want a better flavour, allow your further chillies to go red before harvesting.

If you moved your chillies to a greenhouse and they are struggling to ripen because of bad weather or poor sunlight, bring them back indoors and put them back on the windowsill, ensuring you keep the house warm.

For Best Results:

• Use tomato feed weekly for better growth.
• Check leaves daily for aphids, treating if needed.
• Freeze or dry your excess chillies so you can enjoy your crop all year round.

Composted Horse Manure improves soil structure, helping soil to hold more nutrition and water, as well as fertilising the soil and encouraging microorganisms. All soils can benefit from manure, particularly sandy soil which is known for drainage issues.

Good quality manure provides good levels of the vital nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Our rotted horse manure is of an excellent quality having been shredded and well rotted down, and will continue to improve your soil the more it breaks down. Composting manure yourself can be time consuming and there may be an unpleasant odour hanging around while it rots.

When creating raised beds, composted horse manure is commonly used as a thick bottom layer to encourage growth and to prevent waterlogging by improving the drainage.

Provides vital nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium.

Encourages Growth.

Helps to prevent waterlogging.

Continues to improve soil as it breaks down.