Herbs need a poor diet so John Innes no 1 is ideal, because the nutrient levels are low but the compost contains enough loam so it hold moisture. If going outdoors, place your herb container close to the kitchen in a sunny position so that you can snip as needed. Herbs benefit from regular harvesting as it promotes vigourous growth and means you don't need to prune. Herb growing tips These are the basic requirements of any houseplant compost, but different types of houseplant will require subtly different compost mixes for optimum results. Types of houseplant compost Standard houseplant compost Sarracenia, Dionaea, Cephalotus and many Drosera will thrive in a ‘standard’ carnivorous plant potting mix of peat moss, sharp sand or grit, and perlite. Sphagnum Moss Peat in the John Innes Compost increases the total porosity and improves both the aeration and the water-retaining

John Innes compost is a set of four soil-based formulae for growing media, developed at the former John Innes Horticultural Institution (JIHI), now the John Innes Centre, in the 1930s and released into the public domain. Thymes, mints and basils are equally diverse and some are lemon-scented whilst others are highly pungent. Go for crinkly parsley and lots of marjoram. A recently developed product that is suitable for use with ericaceous or ‘lime-hating’ plants. Peat-based or peat-free media with ‘added John Innes’ Loam is soil composed of sand,silt and clay and organic material in roughly even proportions,at a ratio of around about 40, 40 and 20%,respectively.It is porous,which allows for good air circulation but is also retentive of moisture.

Advice on buying John Innes composts

No. 1 contains the lowest level of nutrients, and is used for potting on young cuttings or seedlings. [1] The base soil is amended with:

Loam - Loam is the most important ingredient in all John Innes compost, supplying the main body of the compost. The loam supplies the nutrition needed for the base of the plant, which helps to absorb and release plant nutrients as required. The loam also contains micro-elements and organic matter, which provides a slow release of Nitrogen to the plant.

Making your herb container attractive

Cacti and succulent compost contains a blend of inorganic compounds such as sand, grit or pumice, together with organic matter such as peat, loam or coir. Inorganic compounds improve drainage and aeration, while organic matter retains moisture and provides nutrients. The compound fertiliser in John Innes Compost provides a wide spectrum of plant nutrients needed for balanced growth, including The number of terms used when discussing houseplant compost can be a little confusing at first. So if you’re not sure how to choose the right compost for your plants, this article will guide you towards to the best choice for your houseplants. Credit: image by annrkiszt is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Ground horticultural-grade limestone is added to give the compost the pH most plants prefer. For lime-hating plants choose John Innes Ericaceous instead plant nutrition by supplying clay, which has a cation and anion exchange capacity, that is, it absorbs and releases plant nutrients

Both the loam and the peat used for John Innes Compost mixes should be able to pass through a 9 mm sieve. One day gardening courses especially created for beginners run in your own garden by the GardenAdvice expert gardeners throughout the UK booked on a day to suit you including weekends.J. Arthur Bower’s John Innes No. 1 compost has a nutrient level ideally matched to the needs of young seedlings and rooted cuttings which are being moved on to a larger container.