Osmocote Controlled Release Plant Food Tablets 25x5g

I've only recently returned to using mineral based fertiliser, was using organic stuff for ages, but plants can't tell the difference, and with pots, it's questionable whether there are enough microorganisms in the soil to break down organic fertiliser into nutrients plants can use. So I've switched back to mineral based for hanging baskets and potted plants. It ensures plants get all the necessary nutrients in an available form. This seems to be one of the better slow-release fertilisers on the market. From what I've read, which was info from a very knowledgeable plant grower and not from producers of fertilisers, plants pretty much all have the same requirements for nutrients, with a few exceptions, and some slight differences, and the best ratio is 3-1-2 NPK for pretty much all plants, regardless of whether they're flowering, seedlings, or leafy plants/trees etc. UK fertiliser declarations display P2O5 for P and K2O for potassium, which is why there are different figures for Ireland, which display elemental P and K. P2O5 is about 50% elemental P, and K2O about 80% elemental K (think I got that right, been reading up on it, as wanted to understand the fertiliser labels). This contains 14-9-11 using UK declaration method, or 14-4-9 using Irish declaration methods, so has roughly the correct 3-1-2 NPK balance and so should be suitable for nearly all plants, excepting maybe lawns or some Australian plants that are sensitive to P fertilisers. It also contains all the important micro-nutrients. The packet has a ruler on the side, with which you can measure the pot diameter, to determine correct dosage. For indoor/small or sensitive plants, you use 1 for up 13 cm pot, 1-2 for 13 - 20 cm and 2 - 3 above 20 cm. For vigorous plants, it's 1-2 for 13 cm pot, 2-3 for 13 - 20 cm and 3-5 for above 20 cm pots. For hanging baskets or window boxes etc, you use 1 per plant. They're little cone shaped plugs, so can easily be pushed the required 5 cm into compost/soil, even in existing plantings. Can't say anything about how this affects growth, as only just started using it, although what I would say is that it's highly unusual for problems with plants to be down to lack of nutrients and far more problems arise from over-dosing of fertilisers than from lack of them. Would recommend you bear this in mind when dosing this, and if you're not sure, be conservative. If your plants have any specific problems, such as diseases, pests, brown leaves or stunted growth it's highly unlikely using this will help.. while it might help improve performance, such as flowering, leaf mass etc in healthy plants...

These tablets as they call them are cork-shaped lumps that you simply push into the compost with your forefinger, two, three or four at a time depending on the size of container. Then you can forget about them because they last six months. If it's bedding plants that you change a couple of times a year, that's all you need. They do seem to make a difference to the growth and flowering of the plants, because I ran out of them once and I could later see the difference where I hadn't used any. I wouldn't normally buy something like this online but the four garden centres and two big diy stores within a few miles of my home only sell jars of loose pellets. Mixing those into your compost is too much messing around for me, these are much simpler to use.

An easy way to feed plants in pots and hanging baskets - just push in the required number of tablets and forget about it. They are quite expensive and easily crushed in the bag.

Good product and a good service

But this is such a luxury not gonna buy again.

Osmocote slow release fertiliser pellets are the best for your pots and hanging baskets.I done a horticultural coarse and osmocote was mentioned as the best fertilisers for flowers.

I find Osmocote is a very good slow release feed for all plants. All my plants are blooming nicely. What I like about Osmocote is that once pushed into the soil it feeds them for the whole summer so no need for any other plant food.

I'm forever overdosing my plants with fertiliser so these will help. I've used another type of slow release capsules from the same company in the past and they worked very well. These are a little expensive and I probably wouldn't use them so much out doors but for all my indoor plants they make life easy. When I re-pot anything, I always pop one of these in for good measure and it gives the plant a bit of time to settle before getting too much fertiliser.