Posts Tagged ‘seasol’

Seasol, A Seaweed Product For All Seasons

March 19th, 2020 | News | Comments Off on Seasol, A Seaweed Product For All Seasons

Mr Fothergill’s Seasol seaweed concentrate has a wide range of benefits and can be used almost the whole of the gardening season. At the start of the new season, it’s good to give seeds a natural boost. Studies confirmed that soaking seeds in Seasol prior to sowing, or watering with Seasol immediately after sowing, gives seeds the best possible start in life and leads to more vigorous, uniform plants.

Mr Fothergill’s trials team took seeds of Delphinium ‘Raider Mixed’, which is known to be tricky to germinate, and set about two separate trials. In the first, two seed trays were half-filled with multi-purpose compost and sown with delphinium seeds which were covered with vermiculite. One tray was soaked from below with water, while the other was soaked from below in Seasol solution. Both trays were then left to germinate with no further watering.

Trialing Mr Fothergill's seeds with Seasol organic seaweed concentrate

Trials Manager Brian Talman said: “The overall percentage of germination was better in the tray treated with Seasol, but it was the quality and the size of the seedlings that was visibly better. The cotyledons were slightly bigger and without any deformities, as opposed to the tray with Delphiniums that had not been treated with Seasol.” Two weeks on, seeds treated with Seasol had produced bigger and better plants, with more vigour and no deformities.

A second trial found that soaking seeds with Seasol prior to sowing offered improved germination. Two batches of fifteen seeds of Delphinium ‘Raider Mixed’ were sown in two 11cm pots of multi-purpose compost and covered with vermiculite – but only one batch of seeds had been soaked in Seasol for 15 hours prior to sowing, using 10ml of Seasol concentrate mixed in 500ml of water.

Brian added: “Even though 7 seeds germinated in both pots, the advantage was once again clear for the Seasol-treated seed. The seedlings germinated quicker, were visibly bigger, with better vigour and no deformities. In comparison, the untreated seeds were slower to germinate and had slightly deformed cotyledons.” As plants were grown on, those treated with Seasol proved to be more vigorous, leading to bigger plants.

Overall, the trial found that seed treated with Seasol led to healthy plants with better colour and a more developed root system.

Seasol, a seaweed-based complete garden health treatment derived from a blend of the finest brown kelps, is proven to stimulate root development, promote healthy growth of plants, flowers and vegetables, enhance flowering and fruiting and increase resistance to heat, drought, frost, pests and diseases.

Seasol 1-litre (RRP £7.99) and Seasol 4-litre (RRP £19.99) are available from selected garden retailers. To find out more about Seasol and the rest of the Mr Fothergill’s range, log on at www.mr-fothergills.co.uk

The right way with roses

November 29th, 2019 | Plant Talk with Graham Rice | Comments Off on The right way with roses

Rose 'Pompadour' (right) and 'Amelie Nothomb'

Why am I writing about roses in November? Yes, got it in one: planting time. And not planting potted roses from the garden centre but planting bare root roses from Mr F. So, what’s so good about bare root roses?

Firstly, bigger root systems. When nurseries pot up roses they have to cut off half the roots to squeeze them in the pot so by the end of the first season, bare root roses will have overtaken potted roses because of their larger root system.

Secondly, the compost nurseries use in the pots tends to run out of nutrients fairly quickly. Planting bare root plants into soil that you yourself have improved with long lasting soil improver is a better bet.

So. When your plants arrive soak the roots in water with SeaSol organic seaweed concentrate added and then plant them in the usual way – just make sure that you’ve improved the soil with weed-free soil improver, or with traditional well-rotted manure if you can get it.

Varieties? There are thousands. But Mr F are the only people who list all these outstanding French varieties created by the legendary Delbard family in France. They bring together two vital features, fragrance and disease resistance, into a range of roses ideal for small gardens.

I’m not going to rattle through them all, you can check them on the website, but two especially appeal. ‘Pompadour’ (above right) is a super scented pink Floribunda with old fashioned flowers and ‘Amelie Nothomb’ is a neater apricot Floribunda – and both have that mildew and black spot resistance we all crave in our roses.

Order now, if the soil’s still too wet to plant when they arrive just heel them in until the soil is workable – as long as you get them in by the end of February they should be fine.

Seasol, A Seaweed Product for All Seasons

July 9th, 2019 | News | Comments Off on Seasol, A Seaweed Product for All Seasons

Mr Fothergill’s Seasol Seaweed Concentrate offers a wide window of sales, almost the whole of the gardening season.

This long sales product improves seed germination and root growth. Studies confirmed that soaking seeds in Seasol prior to sowing, or watering with Seasol immediately after sowing, gives seeds the best possible start in life and leads to vigorous, uniform plants.

Soaking seeds in Seasol prior to sowing will give them the best start in life Water seeds with Seasol immediately after sowing for vigorous, uniform plants.

As well as being watered directly into the soil for uptake at the roots, Seasol can also be applied as a foliar spray for fast absorption of nutrients, throughout the life of plants. What’s more it’s chemical free, it’s even been shown to provide improved frost resistance.

Marketing Manager Ian Cross said: “The great thing about Seasol is that because it is a natural plant tonic, you can use it regularly throughout all stages of growth, from seed to mature plant, unlike general fertilisers.’’

Seasol is an all-natural plant tonic

Seasol is an all-natural plant tonic, offering a complete treatment for all areas of the garden, promoting healthy growth of plants, flowers, vegetables and even lawns. It contains useful micro-nutrients and is rich in trace elements, all of which plants need to support strong healthy growth. Regular use has proven to help plants cope with stresses such as heat, drought and frost as well as increases resistance to garden pests and diseases.

A 1L bottle has a RRP of £7.99 and the 4L offering is priced at £19.99. To find out more about the Mr Fothergill’s range, log on at www.mr-fothergills-trade.com or telephone 01638 554111.

More space, more shopping at this year’s Chelsea

May 24th, 2019 | Plant Talk with Graham Rice | Comments Off on More space, more shopping at this year’s Chelsea

Okra and Orlaya

Down at the Chelsea Flower Show this week, seed has been flying off the Mr Fothergill’s stand. I spoke to Mr F’s David Turner, who’s been talking to show goers and answering their questions.

“We’ve sold more seed this year than in the last two years,” David told me, “and we’ve had some storming afternoons. And usually at Chelsea sales of flower seeds outstrips the veg but veg has been on top this year and we’ve had a surprising number of enquiries for okra.” Okra features on the Giving Girls in Africa a Space to Grow garden for CAMFED (the Campaign For Female Education), an African charity backed by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

“The RHS range of Award of Garden Merit seeds has done especially well this year with people asking for Ammi and rose campion in particular. And Orlaya, another informal white flowered annual, has also been popular.

“We also had a visit from Pudsey supporting our two children’s varieties, Sunflower ‘Pudsey’ and Pumpkin ‘Pudsey’, that raise funds for BBC Children in Need and his visit featured in the TV coverage.”

The other product that has gone well is Seasol, the organic seaweed concentrate plant tonic that promotes healthy growth of plants, flowers, vegetables and even lawns. I use it on my outdoor tomatoes and I’m sure that’s one of the reasons they develop such huge root systems.

Personally, I think one of the reasons sales have gone well is that the show is less crowded, more spacious this year and so visitors feel more relaxed and happier about carrying their purchases around. So they’ve bought more.

You can catch up on the last of the TV coverage of the Show today from 7:30pm-8pm on BBC One then from 8:30pm-9:30pm on BBC Two and finally tomorrow night from 8pm-9pm on BBC Two. Enjoy the show – in person or on TV.

Mr Fothergill’s Boosts its Seaweed Plant Tonic Offering with NEW Seasol 4-Litre

January 30th, 2019 | News | Comments Off on Mr Fothergill’s Boosts its Seaweed Plant Tonic Offering with NEW Seasol 4-Litre

Mr Fothergill’s Boosts its Seaweed Plant Tonic Offering with NEW Seasol 4-Litre

As spring is just around the corner and greenhouse gardeners are about to start sowing, Mr Fothergill’s offers a natural seaweed concentrate that improves seed germination and root growth. Studies confirmed that soaking seeds in Seasol prior to sowing, or watering with Seasol immediately after sowing, gives seeds the best possible start in life and leads to vigorous, uniform plants.

The 1 litre Seasol is now stocked in over 650 retail outlets nationwide, but Mr Fothergill’s has launched the seaweed-based plant tonic in a 4-litre bottle for the 2019 season.

Ian Cross, Mr Fothergill’s Marketing Manager comments: “The great thing about Seasol is that because it is a natural plant tonic, you can use it regularly throughout all stages of growth, from seed to mature plant, unlike chemical fertilisers. The new 4-litre bottle will not only give our customers great value for money, but as you can use Seasol on most areas of the garden, at any time of the year, it also won’t run out as quickly.”

Seasol is derived from a blend of the finest brown kelps and is proven to stimulate root development. The tonic promotes healthy growth of plants, flowers and vegetables, enhances flowering and fruiting and increases resistance to heat, drought, frost, pests and diseases. It can be applied directly to soil or foliage, contains beneficial micro-nutrients and is also rich in trace elements.

A 4L bottle of Seasol is priced at £19.99. Visit your local garden centre, head over to www.mr-fothergills.co.uk to shop or request your copy of the Mr Fothergill’s latest seed catalogue here.