Providing a balanced diet

Supplements can help plants to do their best

- Ruth Hayes

IT has felt like a slow start to the gardening year, not least because of the seemingly endless days of dry cold that beset February and early March.

Dry cold is my least favourite condition – give me mild dampness when the soil is rich and yielding and you can pretty much guarantee that your plants will grow and flourish.

We are on the cusp of the main planting and sowing season, though it pays to be cautious for the next few weeks as springtime frosts will devastate more tender plants if they are put out too early and left unprotected.

We also need to remember that to get the best results we can’t simply put our plants in the ground or containers and expect them to get on with it and flower brilliantly. They need good soil to start with and the sufficient food and water to thrive and give of their best.

I have a wide array of plant supplements in the shed to combat any nutritional deficiencies in the garden and among our houseplants.

Signs of a lack of basic nutrition include poor growth, pale leaves, and reduced flowering and cropping. These deficiencies also make plants more vulnerable to pests and disease and weaken their ability to fight off attack.