Garden Q&A: I found little green and brown pellets in my garden. What are they?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions  

Biochar fertiliser. Picture: iStock

Question

This year, while preparing my garden for setting, I found a lot of small brown and green balls or pellets. I cannot remember seeing them before and am wondering what they are.

Answer

They are most likely the remains of slow-release fertiliser granules. These are often mixed into compost used by nurseries, so they can appear even if you did not add them yourself. 

They contain nutrients that are released gradually over weeks or months. 

Many controlled-release fertilisers use a thin polymer coating to regulate that release, and there is growing concern about plastic residues from some products. Once the nutrients are gone, the granule has done its job. 

For long-term soil health, I would rely less on repeated fertiliser and more on improving the soil with compost, well-rotted farmyard manure, leaf mould and biochar.

 

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