Organic liquid plant food from Sybotanica, in three blends: one for tropical houseplants, one for orchids, and one for cacti and succulents. One pump goes into the watering can each time you water. Depending on the blend, a 500ml bottle makes between 125 and 250 litres of feed. Vegan, made entirely from plant by-products, in a recycled bottle with a dosing pump.
We think of liquid feed as little and often: a small amount with every watering, the way rain carries a trickle of nourishment down to the roots. This one starts as vinasse, the dark, rich liquid left over from making sugar from beet, along with by-products from potato processing. It's fermented to bring up the nitrogen, and the result is full of natural sugars and amino acids but low in salts. That matters indoors, where there's no rain to rinse a pot through and salts slowly build up in the soil. Feed fully from spring to the end of summer, then carry on at half strength through autumn and winter while the plants slow down.
Tropical: for Monstera, Philodendron, Alocasia and Calathea
Leafy tropical plants grow fast in the long light of an Irish summer, and every new leaf draws on what's in the pot. The tropical blend is the richest of the three in nitrogen (NPK 8–2–4), the nutrient that goes into leaf and stem. That keeps big foliage full and deep green instead of pale and thin. Use one pump to half a litre of water. A bottle makes around 125 litres. Ferns are more delicate, so give them half.
Orchid: for Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cymbidium and other orchids
Orchids grow in loose bark that holds very little, so whatever they need has to reach them in the water that runs through. The orchid blend is gentle (NPK 4–1–5), with a little more potassium, the nutrient most tied to flowering, and nothing strong enough to scorch fine roots. Use one pump to three-quarters of a litre of water. A bottle makes around 185 litres.
Cacti & Succulents: for desert plants and windowsill collections
Cacti and succulents need far less than leafy plants, and too much nitrogen makes them stretch toward the light, soft and pale. This blend is the lightest in nitrogen and the richest in potassium (NPK 2–2–6), which keeps growth compact and firm. Use one pump to a full litre of water. You'll water them less often than anything else in the house, so a bottle goes a long way: around 250 litres.
Liquid or slow-release?
Both feed the same three kinds of plant. Liquid suits people who like to water regularly and want to adjust as the seasons turn: the plant gets a little each time, and you can ease off in winter. Our slow-release plant food suits people who'd rather not think about it: one scoop on the soil lasts three to four months. Use one or the other, not both at once.
Ingredients
- Vinasse from sugar beet and by-products of potato processing, fermented to raise the natural nitrogen
- Rich in natural sugars and amino acids, low in salts
- Ferments and trace elements that support the life in the soil
- 100% plant-based and vegan: no animal-derived fertilisers
- Authorised for use in organic growing (as stated on the label)
- 500ml bottle made from 100% recycled, recyclable rPET, with dosing pump
| Blend | One pump (~2ml) per | A 500ml bottle makes |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical | 0.5 litre of water | ~125 litres |
| Orchid | 0.75 litre of water | ~185 litres |
| Cacti & Succulents | 1 litre of water | ~250 litres |
How to use
- Fill your watering can. If you can, let tap water stand for a day first, so it comes to room temperature and the chlorine has time to evaporate.
- Shake the bottle well and add one pump for every half litre (Tropical), three-quarters of a litre (Orchid) or litre (Cacti) of water.
- Water as usual. Feed every time you water. If you forget once, just carry on the next time.
- Autumn and winter: use half the dose, and the same whenever a plant has stopped growing.
- Mixed feed keeps for 48 hours. For a single small plant, mix a full can and use it over a couple of days.
- Water it onto the soil, not the leaves. Sprayed on foliage it leaves a residue.
- Less is more: never go over the recommended dose. Ferns take half.
- If you've repotted into Sybotanica Premium Soil: it's already fed, so wait 180 days before using any plant food.
- Keep out of reach of children and pets.