OsmocoteControlled Release Plant Food Tablets 25x5g

Used before good product

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...

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.

Pleased with the item

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'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.

Have mixed feelings about this product. You don't get many in the pack and some hanging baskets and tubs need more than one cluster. Easy to use though. Maybe better to buy granules in a tub.