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Fear over the potentially harmful effects of chemical fertilizers has created a huge interest in organic fertilizers in recent years. To my mind, the benefits of organic fertilizers stretch far beyond avoiding chemical residues, though.

While you can buy pelleted organic chicken manure and seaweed fertilizers in almost every garden centre these days, why not go down the no-cost route by picking up well-rotted manure from a local farmer or stables? Both are often more than happy to get rid of the stuff. You can even make your own organic fertilizer by starting a compost heap or bagging up leaf mould in big black bin bags (leave for a year or more to rot completely). Many local councils offer free compost when using council recycling schemes. (You drop off some cans or bottles for recycling and get bags of free compost in exchange – now that’s a good deal!) If you live near the coast, you can scatter pieces of seaweed, collected from coastal walks, over the surface of your soil too; just be sure to rinse them first to wash of any salty residue, which could damage the plants. With so many organic fertilizers often being free to make and source, not to mention easier to apply (you don’t have to calculate dilution rates, for example) and often more eco-friendly, what reason is there for not giving them a go?