The Soil Association has officially approved Dalefoot Composts’ entire range making it even easier for eco-conscious gardeners who want to organically grow their fruit, vegetables and blooms. Soil Association organic standards are among the best in the world.
Dalefoot’s Wool Compost for Potting & Containers, Wool Compost for Vegetables & Salads, Wool Compost Double Strength, Wool Compost Ericaceous (and Double Strength), Wool Compost for Seeds, Lakeland Gold and Bulb Compost all now boast the Soil Association Approved certification.
Professor Jane Barker, founder of Dalefoot Composts, based near Penrith in the Lake District, said: “Our loyal customers already know that our peat free composts are packed with all-natural ingredients that grow fantastic plants but it’s wonderful that our range has met the Soil Association’s strict production standards too. We hope this will mean even more gardeners will turn to using our composts and quickly reap the benefits of using them.”
Dalefoot’s premium, carbon-neutral composts contain all the must-have nutrients and trace elements in which plants can flourish. Sheep’s wool comes from Dalefoot’s own flock and the Herdwick ‘wool-clip’ of neighbouring hill farmers, whilst bracken is harvested sustainably from the surrounding Lake District fells. Harvesting bracken on rotation, at exactly the right time of year, improves the habitat for ground nesting birds and butterflies, in particular the endangered High Brown Fritillary.
Growing benefits of the compost include:
- Natural water retention of wool fibres means up to 50% less watering.
- Wool provides a steady, slow sustained supply of nitrogen.
- High levels of natural potash from the bracken promotes flowering and fruiting, healthy growth and hearty crops – NO need for any additional plant food.
- Made from 100% renewable resources with great environmental benefits.
- The compost has a similar soft texture to peat and has a wide range of naturally occurring trace elements for good plant health.
Dalefoot Compost is available from www.dalefootcomposts.co.uk priced from £10.99 down to £6 per bag depending on compost type and size of order. Delivery extra. Tel: 01931 713281.
Environmental scientist Professor Jane Barker and her husband, fifth-generation farmer Simon Bland, started making compost from the natural ingredients around their Cumbrian farm 21 years ago, inspired by early 20th century gardening books. The couple also run one of the UK’s leading peat bog restoration contractors, restoring peatlands for organisations such as Natural England, local wildlife trusts and Scottish Natural Heritage.