The compound fertiliser in John Innes Compost provides a wide spectrum of plant nutrients needed for balanced growth, including A. John Innes No 1 Young Plant Compost does not contain any organic elements so shouldn’t be attractive to animals No. 2 contains moderate nutrient levels, and is used for growing established plants and most vegetables. [1] The base soil is amended with:

Nepenthes require a much more open compost, similar to orchid compost, comprising pine bark, sphagnum moss and perlite. Nutrients are typically sufficient for 1-2 months of growing, after which time additional proprietary feed should be given. The mixes The sand element added to John Innes Composts is used as a physical conditioner to allow excess water to drain from the compost and thus prevent waterlogging.It also helps to provide stability for larger plants.Clean,lime free sand of a particle range from 0.063 mm through to 5mm,coarse sand is the standard used in the compost manufacturing industry. Ground horticultural-grade limestone is added to give the compost the pH most plants prefer. For lime-hating plants choose John Innes Ericaceous instead This is the ‘richest’ John Innes potting mix, with three times the level of nutrients as No. 1. This potting mix is intended for houseplants that will remain in their pots for some considerable time, as well as established shrubs or trees including fruit bushes and vines. It is also good for strong growing, heavy feeders such as tomatoes and chrysanthemums.The formulae contain loam, peat, sand, and fertiliser in varying ratios for specific purposes. These composts are used to grow seedlings for planting out, as well as long-lived plants which remain in containers. [1] History [ edit ]

These are the basic requirements of any houseplant compost, but different types of houseplant will require subtly different compost mixes for optimum results. Types of houseplant compost Standard houseplant compost

Always research the correct compost before growing new types of carnivorous plants – the wrong potting mix is probably the main reason that people experience failures when they start growing carnivorous plants. Bonsai compost John Innes is not a manufacturer of compost, they are a range of composts developed at the John Innes Institute, named after A. J. Arthur Bower’s John Innes No 1 Young Plant Compost does not contain any organic elements so shouldn’t be attractive to animals. If you are growing cacti or succulents, you should choose a specialist compost which contains a high proportion of sand and grit. The compost should be free-draining so that the roots of the plant do not sit in saturated conditions that can cause rot, but it must still be able to absorb and retain some moisture. Image by liqionary from Pixabay