Dalefoot Compost DAL01 Wool Compost, 10.0 cm*65.0 cm*45.0 cm

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We are living through such stressful times but nature-friendly, peat-free growing offers so many solutions. For greater resilience against extremes of weather, for natural pest control, for money saving, for the sheer joy and feel good factor that comes from working in a rich, biodiverse, productive, wildlife haven of a plot. Fresh leaf mulches such as grass clippings and comfrey leaves are ideal for larger plants and potatoes. Looking forwards, it is a good idea to mulch everything by the spring if you can, to help conserve moisture in the ground before the main sowing and planting commences in the spring. Natural pest control is truly a climate change savvy gardener’s ally in so many ways and nature’s finest predators can be encouraged in with gusto in relatively simple ways for free. To turn your outside space into a more balanced eat and be eaten ecosystem means it is then harder for one potential plant muncher to proliferate. When you consider that greater risk of pest and disease is unfortunately one of the biggest challenges with our changing climate it has become more important than ever to encourage and protect biodiversity close to home.

Place everything except the olive oil into a food processor. Turn on and whizz into a puree, gradually adding a little olive oil. If the veg ingredients are very moist you’ll need less oil, if they are drier you may need to add a little more oil, or a tablespoon or two of water. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do when making our range of peat-free composts and with our peatland restoration work. Our sustainability credentials have been recognised in the following awards: Stephanie Hafferty is an award winning garden and food writer, expert no dig gardener, homesteader, edible garden designer and inspirational public speaker. Stephanie is currently creating a no dig homestead on half an acre in West Wales, from where she runs gardening courses. Her garden was featured on BBC Gardeners’ World in 2022. You can mulch veg beds with fallen leaves, but do bear in mind that in our climate they can take up to two years to break down and during this time attracts slugs, so best to avoid it on beds where you’re planning to grow slug susceptible plants. Here I am meaning deeper mulches of several centimetres, a sprinkling of fallen leaves is lovely for the soil and should mostly break down over winter.As we step into February (already I hear you say!) spring is most definitely in the air….. snowdrops are beginning to appear, an exciting reminder that warmer weather and longer days are fast approaching. These delicate white flowers are usually the first sign of life in our gardens and a welcome sight after months of short, dark days! The joy of planning, preparing and organising our gardens for the season ahead is an exciting part of February. Try and ditch the power tools and gloves. Get properly connected with your garden by hand as much as you can. It helps you see so much more and understand how everything is interconnected. In fact, our testing shows really variable results for both cheap and expensive compost. The only way to really know what you're getting is to look at our results. Things to look for when buying compost

Dry, clean bags that aren't torn or faded - in the garden centre choose bags that look new as the contents contain fresh compost. Bags that are faded or are heavy have been hanging around, getting too hot in the sun or soaking up rain, which will damage the compost in the bag. If possible, buy from a garden centre that keeps its compost in a covered area. The bacterium responsible for the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease has been found in some composts sold in the UK. The chances of you becoming infected are very low, but it makes sense to take the following precautions when handling compost: We also test grow bags - see our round-up of the best grow bags. What are the different types of compost? Sheep ‘dags’ form a protective layer over the soil and are ideal for established plants. ‘Dags’ are the soiled parts of the fleece which are otherwise discarded after shearing.Seed heads left in situ will also provide food for birds - the more the merrier. Birds also further benefit from feeding and the provision of water over winter. Many weeds can also provide a valuable habitat and ground cover for predators so wilder areas really help. I even grow a little patch of stinging nettles in my polytunnels for ladybirds and lacewings.