How to top dress plants

Richard shows you how to give your plants a new lease of life with a quick application of fresh compost and fertiliser.

Read the transcript

Plants that have spent several years in the same pot can benefit from top-dressing. Carefully scrape away the top few centimetres of old compost.

Replace it with fresh compost suitable for the plant. The video uses John Innes No. 3 and adds slow-release fertiliser granules. Follow the dose on the label. Firm the new compost gently and water well.

Watch next

View all videos

Get 10% OFF your first order

Be the first to get our latest special offers, gardening tips and news. Sign up and get 10% OFF your first order!

Average Customer Rating:

Rated 4.8 out of 5

4.8/5

Independent Service Rating based on 2,342 verified reviews.

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Goods And Service

A very good service as always. highly recommen.

Miriam - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Birds Always Choose These Fatballs Over Anything Else Left Out For Them.

Best products, best service.

Happy Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great

Fantastic plants

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Good Quality Well Proved Items

Competitive pricing with fast delivery of products that i know will work

Allan Taaffe - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Concentrated Weedkiller

First time i have shopped direct with richard jackson garden's service as previously purchased his products through qvc. whole experience was easy and quick and product arrived when stated. i would certainly shop directly with his company in the future.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Grass Is Looking Better, Moss Is Disappearing

Ordered on line. was easy to order. arrived as stated. was easy to spread on the lawn.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Product!

I bought the organic moss killer, it’s a fabulous product that does exactly as advertised i’ve already re-ordered.

Adrian Tuck - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

A Must Buy For All Gardeners

I had scarified my lawn and it really looked very sad and like it wasn’t going to survive as a lawn anymore. my son told me to put lawn food on it so i purchased lawn magic. within a few days it was showing signs of recovery and now it’s a perfect green lawn. i have sprayed it on all my lawns and next doors and we are amazed at the results. even though i have lots left, when it was on offer again i purchased another lawn magic and would certainly recommend it

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Fantastic Delivery Service And Products

Flower power is excellent fertiliser order was delivered the next day no problems ordering items

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Very Fast Delivery And Good Value.

A good selection of quality products.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Weed Killer Product Is Excellent

Weed killer product i bought years ago is very good, stinging nettles dead in hours, and lasted for months, with what i had left, so ordered some more. delivery this time has been a disaster!

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent

Excellent service

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Good Quality Best Products

Good quality best products

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Products. Easy Website.

Richard’s products are always very effective and sensibly priced. ordering and delivery are also very quick and convenient.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Good Products

Really good products from richard jackson garden. a good price with discounts applied and fast delivery. i have ordered a few products from this site.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent

Order root powder and a plant arrived separately. both good plant was well packed and healthy will definitely buy again

Kay Haines - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Product

Always excellent and products are reliable. a great brand. the water booster seems to be helping the lawn in this extreme hot weather

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Very Happy Gardener

Have been using richard jackson for years, would recommend the service and products .

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Plant Food Always Use It To All

Excellent plant food have used it for years very pleased with th results slow release i love the best thankyou.

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Good Service

Good service arrived on time

Jacqueline Halsted - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Richard Jackson's Products

Excellent service always. very quick delivery & well packaged

Catherine Prophet - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Full Reset

I have gone through a full lawn reset! from 90% moss and weed to a new lawn ! it was scary and looked like impossible but it worked. i did the moss killer, i had to use a lawn weed killer (other brand-rj didn’t have it) to ripping it all out scarifying with a machine, then used the grass ( ohh the pain when my lawn had nothing left 🫣) and then over seeded ( i used compost and then seed and covered the seed - someone said the grass was eaten by birds) the birds still came 😅.. and now i have cut the grass for first time since april!! i actually have a lawn.. still need to cover some patches but that’s nothing!! will start to feed it soon !!

Elena Pinzariu - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Customer Service

Advice given although i had not purchased from them at that time however after receiving advice which did not push their products i decided i would try their products . i did buy lawn treatment and spray . cannot fault their customer care . speedy delivery and grass is definitely looking better after first treatment

Christine Stevenson - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Customer Service

Excellent customer service. unfortunately evri messed up the delivery and tracking stopped for the items i had ordered, contacted customer services and they very quickly solved the issue and sent a replacement.

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Baz

Fast sevice good quailty plant food

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Products And Service

Always find very good and quick service from them

Maureen Burgoyne - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Easy Compost

Its excellent. speedy delivery. well packed and easy to store.

Claire Chevin - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Quick Despatch

Dispatched quickly but delivery was a lot longer weather at present these products would not be effective try later

David James - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Super Kind But Bitter!

Really good at the job. the friendliest weed killer super kind to everything else but the weeds!

Wendy Goodman - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Flowerpower Great For All Plants

Easy to use website brilliant products have used flower power for a few years now. so easy since it's suitable for all plants. the plants flower brilliantly all summer long.. wouldn't use anything else

Hazel Bruce - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Recent Purchase

Quick delivery. well packaged. good website

Catherine Prophet - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Product

Prompt delivery

Philip Jeffrey - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Service

Great service great products

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Always Use

I always use richard jackson because they help me achieve my required result in my garden

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Efficient And Effective

Efficient service

Trusted Customer - July 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Great Products That You Can Trust

Good communication and great products

Trusted Customer - June 2026

Rated 5 out of 5 based on 5 customer ratings

Excellent Service

Excellent service. have bought richard jacksons producta for years when they were first introduced on qvc. now i can by direct its even better.

Rachel Vincent - July 2026