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Lime
Compost (Organic Matter)
Mulch
Fertilizer

Russell's has all of the soil amendments you need to improve your garden, available in bags that can be loaded into your car. Stop in the Garden Shop for soil test kits to learn what your soil needs.

View a list of all the products and sizes we carry:

Russell's is committed to organic gardening, and offers a full range of products to keep your plants health. Below are explanations for some commonly used organic products and other soil amendments.

ADDING ORGANIC MATTER
AND IMPROVING SOIL STRUCTURE

Fafard Complete Planting Mix-- blend of 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 composted cow manure, and 1/3 peat. Recommended for rose planting and many other uses.

ORGANICA Microbial Soil Conditioner-- Converts soil elements into a plant-available form, increasing nutrient absorption. Improves soil structure.
GYPSUM-- Loosens heavy clay soil, helps counteract road salt and turf burns caused by pets.

COW MANURE
Composted- MooDoo (.5 -.3 -.5)-- fully composted. Will not burn roots.
Dehydrated- MooPlus (1-1-1)--

PEAT HUMUS-- Improved soil structure, increasing drainage and improving water retention.

COMPOST
Shellfish Compost: Studies have shown that chitin, found in shells, supresses parasitic nematodes that inhibit plant growth, and possibly other pathogens.

Chitin also increases water retention in the soil, and provides calcium which allows the plant to absorb more nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. Using shellfish compost helps reduce waste from shellfish processing.

Coast of Maine- Fundy Blend-- Blend of kelp and humus. Recommended for top-dressing beds.
Coast of Maine-Penobscot Blend--Peat, fish, blueberries and mussels. Great for vegetable and flower beds.
Gardener's Gold-- Organic shellfish compost, over 20% crab compost.

pH ADJUSTMENTS

LIME
Granular-Soil Sweet (Dolomitic)- High in magnesium. If you use lime regularly, you may want to switch to Calcitic lime to avoid high Mg levels.
Pelleted-Correct Lime (Calcitic)- Low in Mg, higher in calicum, which is also needed by plants. Pelleted lime is a fast-release form.
Pelleted-Lime Rite (Dolomitic)

DRAGON Aluminum Sulfate-- Lowers soil pH. Do not overapply. We suggest a soil test.


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PLANT FOOD

Each fertilizer is labeled with three numbers in the form (10-10-10) which tells you the percentage of nitrogen, phosporus, and potassium (N-P-K) by weight. In this case the bag would contain 10% of each of these nutritional elements.

Stated simply, nitrogen promotes green leafy growth, phosphorus increases flowering and root growth, and potassium promotes the general vigor of the plant.

Fertilizers come in two forms: quick release, like fish emulsion or MiracleGro, and slow release, like Osmocote, some chemical fertilizers, and those organics listed below. Slow release fertilizers release small amounts of nutrients over a long period of time.

ESPOMA
Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-0)
-- Lowers soil pH, makes phosphorus more available, and is a fast, water-soluble form of nitrogen.
Bone Meal  (6-12-0)-- An organic source of phosphorous and nitrogen.
Cottonseed Meal (6-2-1)-- Organic plant food for trees and shrubs.
Dried Blood  (12-0-0)-- Organic nitrogen source and animal repellent.
Flower Tone Garden Food (3-5-7)-- Formulated for annuals and perennials, rich in potash and trace nutrients to promote flowering.
Green Sand -- Contains the soil conditioning element Glauconite. Also a source of potash and trace elements.
Holly Tone  (4-6-4)-- Food for acid-loving shrubs.
Muriate of Potash -- Provides potassium, for plant vigor, in the form of KCl. Cloride is another essential nutrient.
Plant Tone (5-3-3)  -- An all-purpose food approved for organic gardening.
Rock Phosphate (0-4-0)-- 32% total phosphate, washed free of impurities.
Rose Tone  (6-6-4) -- Long-lasting organic fertilizer for roses.
Sulfate of Potash (0-0-50) -- Source of natural potassium and sulfur, with very low salt content.
Super Phosphate (0-20-0) -- Helps in root growth, flowering, and fruit formation.
Tomato Food
Triple Phosphate (0-46-0)-- an enriched version of Super Phosphate.
NO-PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS
This year we are featuring a new line of fertilizers by Scotts and Greenview that contain no phosphorus.
NATURE'S GLORY
Container Garden (5-2-4) 
Rose Food (5-3-8) 
Tomato/Vegetable (5-7-7) 
NORTH COUNTRY ORGANICS
Nature's Turf (8-1-9)
Weed Ban (corn gluten)- corn gluten prevents germination of weed seeds and provides nitrogen
Pro-Start (2-3-3)
Pro-Grow  (5-3-4) 
MILORGANITE (7-3-.5)
Also a source of needed trace elements and an animal repellent. ORGANICA LAWN FOODS
Lawn Booster (8-1-.6) w/ corn gluten (for use only on established lawns)
Kelp Booster- natural biostimulator containing plant growth hormones. Also helps plants to resist stress. COCKADOODLE DOO
Fertilizer (5-3-2)- won't burn, provides trace elements
Gluten- suppresses weed seed germination
JONATHAN GREEN
RINGER LAWN RESTORE (10-2-6)
CONCERN Weed Preventer Plus (8-2-4)

MULCHES -- A layer of mulch will help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

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Russell's Garden Center
397 Boston Post Road
Wayland, MA 01778
Phone (508) 358-2283
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info@russellsgardencenter.com


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