How to Use All Purpose Fertiliser: Dose, Timing and When to Stop
Updated: October 2026
You have a bottle or a tub on the potting bench and a mixed collection of pots, baskets and borders, and you want to feed them without burning anything. This guide on how to use all purpose fertiliser is built around one rule: use the rate printed on the pack in your hand, because a rate from another brand will not transfer. It covers the liquid steps, the granule steps and the point in autumn when you stop. If you have not bought yet, start with the [universal fertiliser comparison](/hub/fertiliser-soil-and-bark-mulch/universal-fertiliser). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a bottle or a tub on the potting bench and a mixed collection of pots, baskets and borders, and you want to feed them without burning anything.
You have a bottle or a tub on the potting bench and a mixed collection of pots, baskets and borders, and you want to feed them without burning anything. This guide on how to use all purpose fertiliser is built around one rule: use the rate printed on the pack in your hand, because a rate from another brand will not transfer. It covers the liquid steps, the granule steps and the point in autumn when you stop. If you have not bought yet, start with the universal fertiliser comparison. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Form | Dose | Interval | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Doff Doff Liquid Growmore 1 L | Liquid concentrate | 1:466 on the listing | Follow the bottle | 7.6 | about £6.55 | View offer |
 Miracle-Gro Miracle-Gro All Purpose Liquid 1.6 L | Liquid concentrate | Half a cap per litre | Every 7–14 days | 7.9 | about £7.98 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Topline Topline Growmore Granules 8 kg | Ordinary granules | No grams on the listing | Every 4–6 weeks | 6.8 | about £23.99 | View offer |
On this page
Match the pack before you mix anything
Of the six products we compared on amazon.co.uk, two are liquid concentrates, one is a coated granule and three are ordinary or slow-release granules, and each is used differently. Miracle-Gro All Purpose Concentrated Liquid and Doff Liquid Growmore are diluted in water. Miracle-Gro Continuous Release is a coated granule that you mix into compost or sprinkle on the surface. Topline Growmore, Goulding General Purpose Granules and Westland Boost Slow Release are granules you scatter.
Check which one you own before you open it, because the common mistake is copying a rate from a different brand. Vitax and Westland both publish tidy dilutions and gram rates for their own Growmore products, and neither is the rate for a Doff or Topline pack. Our buying guide explains why the label figures also differ between products with similar names.
Dilute only the liquid you bought
For the Miracle-Gro concentrate (model 121175), the brand's label says half a cap per litre of water, or a quarter cap for small or young plants, every 7 to 14 days from early spring to late summer, and only while the plants are growing. Feed moist compost rather than dry, because strong feed on dry roots is how pots get scorched. The label also says to store the bottle between 5 and 35°C, out of reach of children.
Doff is where people go wrong. The amazon.co.uk mixing-ratio field says 1:466, one reviewer uses one cap to 4.5 litres, and another uses half a cap in about 5 litres. Doff's own website talks about a larger yield again. These figures do not line up, and a Vitax cap is not a Doff cap. The bottle has an integral measure, so use the dose printed on it, and remember one buyer's warning that too much can harm plants. If a figure on the bottle and a figure in a review disagree, go with the bottle.
Scatter, keep it off the leaves and water in
Granules follow a calendar rather than a dose per can. The Topline listing says to apply every 4 to 6 weeks from February to the end of October, as a base dressing before planting or a top dressing around established plants, and to water before and after in dry weather. It prints no grams per square metre. Westland's gram rate belongs to Westland's own Growmore, so do not carry it across.
Scatter evenly, keep granules off the leaves, rake them in lightly and water so they reach the roots. Miracle-Gro Continuous Release claims one application at the start of spring for the whole season, so you should not add weekly liquid on top.
Stop while the plant can still harden
The RHS says not to fertilise after September, because late feeding pushes soft growth that will not harden before the cold. Short-lived summer bedding in containers can carry on into early autumn, but trees, shrubs and perennials in the ground should stop. Set a date rather than waiting for the bottle to empty.
If you have fed too much, stop, water well and wait. Do not add more to correct it. If a child or pet has swallowed feed, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency, and keep the pack to hand. Westland Boost's safety data sheet lists serious eye irritation, so rinse with water and get help if it persists. If a plant looks scorched or you cannot find a rate for your pack, ask the seller or a qualified gardener before you feed again. Tomatoes and other fruiting crops need a different feed later in the season, which our all-purpose fertiliser for vegetables page covers, and the choice between liquid and granules sits on our liquid vs granular fertiliser page.
Common questions
How much Miracle-Gro concentrate goes in a litre?
The brand's label for the all-purpose concentrated liquid (model 121175) says half a cap per litre, or a quarter cap for small or young plants, every 7 to 14 days from early spring to late summer. Check the label on your bottle, because pack designs change.
Can you use a Vitax cap measure on Doff?
No. A cap on one brand is not the same volume as a cap on another, and the Doff amazon.co.uk listing gives a mixing ratio of 1:466 that does not match every reviewer's cap-per-can habit. Use the measure on the Doff bottle and the instructions printed on it.
When do you stop feeding for the year?
For most plants, stop after September. The RHS says feeding later encourages soft growth that will not harden before winter. Short-lived bedding in containers can continue a little longer, and you should feed moist compost, not dry.
Do you water before or after granules?
Both, in dry weather. The Topline listing says to water before and after applying. Dry soil holds granules on the surface, and watering afterwards moves the nutrients towards the roots. Keep granules off the leaves and do not exceed the rate on the pack.
What does the continuous-release tub say about repeat feeding?
The Miracle-Gro Continuous Release listing says one application at the start of spring feeds plants for the whole season, removing the need for regular feeding. A larger garden may use the tub faster, as one repeat buyer found, so check the pack and your plants.
What if the Goulding pack has no instructions?
The Goulding listing states no application rate, and one reviewer received a pack with no instructions. Contact the seller, and do not borrow a rate from another brand, because a guessed dose is how plants get scorched.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK and manufacturer sources used for this comparison; last accessed 15 October 2026.
- RHS: Fertilisers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- RHS: Nutrition and feeding plants (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- RHS: Fertiliser labels explained (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Manufacturing and marketing fertilisers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- The Fertilisers Regulations 1991 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Miracle-Gro All Purpose Concentrate label 121175 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Which?: Controlled-release fertilisers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- NHS: Poisoning (retrieved 15 October 2026)