Don’t forget that some acid-loving plants such as azalea, camellia or rhododendron will require an ericaceous compost with a lower pH. These are used to improve aeration and drainage in heavy clay soil and add body to light sandy soil to help retain moisture and nutrients. It also boosts the soil fertility by adding nutrients to encourage healthy foliage, flowers and root growth. READ NEXT: Our roundup of the best composts you can buy What are some common compost ingredients and terms to be aware of?

That is a lot of manual handlingand like I say, it's hard work. Why do Ido it, especially whenalternatives are widely available?Well, we simply can't buymaterial like thisand it is such wonderful stuff that we prefer not to compromise on how we grow our plants.Proper, sterilised loam makes such a difference to how plants grow, how they keep growing and how they establish in the garden once planted. The sterilisation process is undertaken because soil or loam that has not been sterilised can contain weeds, pests and diseases. If you don’t have the materials to make your own potting or seed compost, then there is no harm in buying some. Potting compost in bags is usually lighter in texture than homemade garden compost. It is created for growing plants in containers – not as a soil improver – and there are particular mixes for seed sowing, cuttings or ericaceous (lime hating) plants.a richer mixture for final re-potting of gross feeding vegetable plants and for mature foliage plants and shrubs

Many people think that these kinds of soil and topsoil are the same thing, but the truth is that topsoil can be any other type of soil. Sphagnum Moss Peat in the John Innes Compost increases the total porosity and improves both the aeration and the water-retaining It’s worth mentioning that many plants enjoy this type of compost as it supports their growth at every stage. This type of compost can also be combined with peat-based composts and even with peat-free composts.But if you have peat-based compost, you might be wondering whether it will be a good idea to add loam, or a John Innes mix, to this to improve it. Sand - The coarse sand or grit is used as a physical conditioner to allow excess water to drain from the compost and thus prevent water-logging. It also helps to provide stability for larger plants.