General purpose

IF you want an allround feed for trees, shrubs and perennials in the border, a dry mix or pelleted balanced, general fertiliser like Vitax Q4 or Fish, blood and bone supplies a good level of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. These are scattered around plants in spring and every six weeks in the growing season. Soluble general purpose food, which you mix with water (such as Miracle Gro or Phostrogen) is fast acting but can run through soils quickly, meaning you'd have to be applying it to border soils every couple of weeks. But it could be used as a quick fix pick-me-up solution when border plants take a sudden turn for the worse.

Boost shrubs and perennials in borders with fertiliser if you think they need it, but your soil may already be good enough to support them

Pellets also degrade slowly over time

Apply soluble feed every couple weeks

Soluble feed perks up plants quickly

Fish,blood and bone breaks down slowly