Its time to start feeding….

As the weather starts to improve and the sun shines, the days are longer, our houseplants can breath a sigh of relief that they may just start to receive the amount of light needed to flourish. Its been a dark old winter and growth has slowed right down.

Spring to Autumn is the time to replenish those lost nutrients in the soil while the plant is in its prime growing time. Generally specialist houseplant soils come with added nutrients, (lasting about 6 months or so) after this its important to replace nutrients through feeding or repotting in fresh soil.

I choose to organically feed with seaweed plant food and am a proud stockist of Cornwall based brand Aqua Culture. Co founded by Dan and Jack, Aqua Culture’s mission is to transform waste seaweed into a powerful, natural fertiliser that feeds plants, enriches soil, and helps regenerate our environment.  Every bottle and pouch they make starts with cast seaweed, (collected responsibly to avoid harming coastal habitats) Through gentle processing, they create pure plant nutrition with nothing artificial added.

What Makes Seaweed Fertiliser Special?

• Packed with nutrients: Seaweed naturally contains potassium, magnesium, nitrogen, and trace elements that support growth.

• Boosts resilience: It helps plants withstand drought, frost, pests, and disease by strengthening root systems.

• Promotes vitality: Natural plant hormones like cytokinins and auxins encourage strong root and shoot development.

• Eco-friendly: Unlike mined or manufactured fertilisers, seaweed requires no extraction - we only use what washes ashore, classed as ‘waste’.

  10 Benefits of Organic Seaweed Fertiliser for Healthy, Happy Plants

1. Stimulates Strong Root GrowthSeaweed is rich in natural plant hormones like auxins and cytokinins, which encourage root development. Stronger roots mean more efficient nutrient uptake, increased drought resistance and faster recovery after repotting.

2. Promotes Balanced, Steady Growth Unlike synthetic fertiliser’s that push plants into fast, unnatural growth, seaweed offers gentle, balanced nutrition. With over 60 trace minerals, amino acids and vitamins, it supports full-bodied foliage and steady upward growth - without the risk of overfeeding.

3. Boosts Flowering and Fruiting If you’re feeding plants that flower or fruit - think chillis, strawberries, tomatoes or roses — seaweed is your best friend. It supports cell division and bud formation, helping your plants produce more blossoms and tastier harvests.

4. Builds Soil Life and Microbial Health Healthy plants start with healthy soil. Seaweed feed improves soil structure and encourages the microbial activity that helps unlock nutrients in the root zone. Over time, this creates more fertile, aerated, and moisture-retaining soil.

5. Helps Plants Resist Stress and Disease Seaweed naturally contains antioxidants and compounds that strengthen a plant’s immune system. It helps plants bounce back from drought, cold snaps, pest attacks or root damage.

6. Safe for Pets, People, and Pollinators Our seaweed fertiliser is 100% organic and made without synthetic chemicals or preservatives. It’s gentle on your home, safe for indoor use, and kind to the insects and creatures that keep our ecosystems alive.

7. Suitable for Regular, Year-Round Use Because it’s low in salts and naturally balanced, seaweed fertiliser can be used every week during the growing season - and monthly in winter. It won’t scorch roots or cause nutrient lock like harsh chemical feeds can.

8. Improves Leaf Shine and Colour Struggling with dull, tired leaves? Seaweed can help. The trace elements and vitamins support chlorophyll production, leading to deeper green tones and a natural, healthy shine.

9. Works as a Root Soak or Foliar Spray Use it your way. Dilute seaweed fertiliser in water and pour into the soil, or spray it directly onto leaves for faster uptake. As a foliar spray, it’s absorbed directly through the stomata - perfect for reviving tired houseplants or supporting stressed roots.

10. A Fully Circular, Sustainable Choice  At AquaCulture, they make their plant feed using waste seaweed from the Cornish coast - a by-product of local activity, turned into a powerful resource. It's produced using solar power and natural spring water, bottled in recyclable glass, and shipped with care from our farm in Ruthvoes.

Every bottle supports the soil, the ocean, and the future of regenerative growing.

How to Use Seaweed Fertiliser

• Shake the bottle well

• Dilute 1-2ml ( about 2 dropper squirts) per 1Ltr of water

• Apply to soil or spray onto leaves

• Feed during your normal watering cycle every 2-4 weeks

• You can use it on houseplants, veg patches, raised beds, lawns, herbs and even seedlings

Products

·       Natural seaweed fertiliser serum 100ml £ 13.50

·       Rescue tired or stressed plants with a concentrated Shock Shot. This powerful dose of seaweed extract is perfect for reviving neglected plants, supporting transplant recovery, or giving seedlings an early advantage £6

·      Revitalise your plants instantly with the Sea Mist Foliar Spray £ 12

Pics and information

aqua-culture.co.uk

Oil and crust……

Honest Toil Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A funny joke has turned into the best idea here at Fallow. If you have visited us before you will know we are lovers of tasty olive oils and often spend our days tasting, finding the perfect oils to hit our shelves. Or, really is it just an excuse to taste gorgeous olive oil and eat sourdough?

Fellow shopkeeper Penny (  who owns and runs Kanitani Toys  ) and I decided that in another life we would own an olive oil tasting bar, somewhere you head to afterwork or pre-dinner for a tasting platter of hand selected oils and artisan bread. A nod to a wine bar, but with olive oil instead. Gifting a bottle of Olive Oil instead of a bottle of red has become increasingly popular, especially as so many are choosing to be alcohol free these days. So what to gift your host? A bottle of cold pressed single farm Olive Oil 100% Koroneiki olives from Greece, that’s what.

We giggled about an empty shop inside the Needlemakers which is the direct neighbour to Oil and Dust ( an exquisite art materials supply store, run by Gabby and Pat ) We played on their brand and imaginarily called it Oil and Crust. Perfect.

But…. we can only dream, and an Oil and Crust Bar isn’t in this life (yet!) so we had to improvise and created Oil and Crust  Friday Tastings .

Every Friday here at Fallow, I crack open a bottle, I bring the sourdough, and I encourage our customers and visitors to try the oil. We will always have stock available to purchase and it’s a great way to try before you buy. If not, at least you have had your health kick polyphenols for the day!

Lots of our oils have a strong peppery taste and this reflects high levels of Polyphenol – known as potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of EVOO.

At the moment we stock 6 or so different oils and we will rotate these each Friday giving the opportunity to taste them all. We will provide tasting notes from each oil, so you know what you are tasting and where it has come from too.

We welcome you to Fallow on a Friday, join us for Oil and Crust.