The importance of topdressing container plants after wet weather

With many overwintered crops running on empty, Technical Area Sales Manager Stephen Briggs outlines several topdressing options to help kick start your early season sales.

The early months of 2026 were exceptionally wet, with January the fourth wettest on record. Saturated conditions inevitably mean one thing for container crops, nutrition is being depleted faster than usual.

For growers carrying overwintered hardy nursery stock, this creates a clear risk as plants need readily available nutrition to restart growth. Many crops will simply not have enough left in the pot.

Wet weather and irrigation have depleted nutrients

This year the situation is likely to be more extreme than usual. Last summer’s hot, dry weather made planting extremely difficult and as a result many growers have carried higher volumes of stock than expected over the winter months. Plants potted in spring 2025 spent the season under frequent irrigation, just to maintain moisture levels. That was followed by a winter of persistent rainfall. Between irrigation and rainfall, nutrients have almost certainly been washed through the container profile.

In short, many crops are now running on empty.

How to kick-start early season plant sales

Early spring sales rely on strong, healthy plants. Growers want overwintered stock moving quickly, well before new spring potting is ready. Early movement is essential to generate cashflow and free up valuable nursery space for the season ahead. Crops that are slow to green up, or lacking vigour, can easily miss this early sales window.

A targeted topdress can quickly correct the problem.

Osmocote Topdress FT (Fusion Technology) delivers reliable, consistent nutrition when crops need it most. This controlled release fertiliser (CRF) has a 4–5month longevity and a balanced analysis of 22-5-6 + 2MgO + trace elements. Containing both fast and controlled release nitrogen, alongside phosphorus and potassium, it supports rapid greening while maintaining steady plant growth through the spring sales period.

Fusion Technology ensures the granules remain fixed to the growing media surface. Even if pots are blown over during windy conditions, the Osmocote granules stay in place, ensuring the nutrients remain available to the crop.

A single application of Osmocote Topdress FT supplies consistent feeding across its full 4–5month longevity. That reliability matters, particularly in spring when time is limited and labour is under pressure. Fewer crop passes mean less handling and lower labour costs.

Osmocote products provide safe, proven, predictable nutrient delivery. In contrast, traditional slow-release topdress products can show variable release patterns. Nutrients may be released too quickly and leach from the pot before the crop requires them. Nitrogen losses through volatilisation can also occur during warm conditions under glass or in tunnels. A controlled release approach removes much of that uncertainty.

Topdressing for a fast response

For crops that require a faster visual response, shorter longevity topdress options are available. OsmoTop (22-5-10+MgO+TE) provides a similar nutrient analysis to Osmocote Topdress FT but with a shorter, 2–3month, release period, making it ideal for rapid greening in perennials, pot plants or later spring applications.

Topdressing flowering crops

For flowering crops, we recommend Osmocote Bloom which offers a different NPK nutritional balance. With a 13-7-18 plus trace element analysis and 2–3month longevity, it supports strong foliage colour without excessive vegetative growth, while delivering higher potassium levels to encourage bud and flower development.

Right product, right rate

It is not too late to kick-start your early season plant sales, contact your local ICL Technical Area Sales Manager for recommendations tailored to your situation. This is also a good opportunity to discuss Seeka beneficial nematode applications for vine weevil control, as soil temperatures begin to rise and pest activity increases both under protection and outdoors.