Daniel Iddon says approaches to planting need to change, adding, his approach is fundamental; it’s about how nature works.

As we speak, he explains how his Woodland Grow Fertiliser works, down to minutiae of the science behind it, and his enthusiasm comes across in every syllable.

Ultimately, Woodland Grow aims to be the fertiliser that brings nature into the discussion, creating the kinds of environments in which plants and trees naturally survive.

Iddon says: “I think the point is that nature is all about fungi, bacteria and natural sources of nutrition, and it’s not green waste, compost or synthetic fertiliser. People are trying to sell a commodity that aims to eliminate a problem, as opposed to asking, what does a plant need? They planted that million trees on the side of the A14 in Cambridge, and they all died, and then blamed climate change.

“If you plant a tree with no fungi, how does it get its food? It’s fundamental. It’s not like I’m trying to sell a widget. This is a lifestyle, this is ecology, this is how nature works.

“That’s what this whole project is about—how do you create and mimic the fungi and bacteria from woodland soils for use in forestry, planting, and landscaping and use natural sources of nutrition?”

Woodland Grow has been able to answer this question by creating a fertiliser that mimics natural soil in that it allows plants to build up resilience.

Throughout the interview, Iddon repeatedly emphasises the importance of having plants talk to nature and build up strength in the same way they do in the wild.

It came about after a long research phase, which allowed Woodland Grow to create a product that is made in the UK, for the UK, focusing on minimising waste, the use of natural resources and, upcycling natural residues.

It has had help to get this far, with the Forestry Commission providing funding for part of it. The whole process started five years ago when Iddon bought his own woodland.

He started his own nursery and quickly encountered problems, but the solution proved deceptively simple when he spoke to a forester after his trees almost all died.

Iddon explains: “I grew my own trees in my own nursery, and then I planted them, and then they all nearly died. And the forester said, ‘Well, that happens all the time because you’re growing trees in a nursery with clean chemicals, clean water, clean grow medium, and then you’re out there planting in the woodland with fungi, bacteria, microbes, and water that’s coming off the hills.’ So, it’s a totally different environment.

“So, we then started to learn about the relationship between plants and fungi and bacteria in that symbiotic relationship.”

Iddon argues that the environmental credentials are huge, pointing out that his product leads to considerably less CO2 production. “There’s a fact – one tonne of synthetic fertiliser in CO2 terms creates a minimum of three tonnes, but as high as ten tonnes.

“Making synthetic fertiliser and transporting it around the world means you’ve contributed three to ten tonnes of CO2 before you even get it into the ground. Ours is 100 – 120kg as you only have to account for transporting it around the country, which means Woodland Grow creates 95 to 99% less CO2 when making our fertiliser.”

His view feels immediately refreshing, and it’s a discussion that prompts the question of how it is received elsewhere.

Despite it being a potentially frank topic, he embraces the question and admits to feeling pressured, as he is aware that the entire industry is unified with the aim of trying to do the right thing.

Iddon says: “It’s profound, but it comes with a pressure in that I’ve got to make sure this becomes commercially viable, and people understand and respect it.

“I think the thing is that anyone working in the landscape and forestry market is doing things because they also want to be in tune with nature. They want to do the best and the right thing by nature.

“So our product resonates with almost everybody we talk to, that it’s the right thing to do, and their approach potentially needs improving.

“It’s very humbling.”

The discussion comes after leading landscape provider Green-tech became the exclusive distributor for Woodland Grow Fertiliser earlier this year.

Speaking at the time of the deal, Chris Swan, Green-tech’s purchasing and product development director, praised Woodland Grow for supporting its ongoing efforts to provide more sustainable solutions for customers.

“Over the last five years, sourcing products with strong environmental credentials has been our focus, ensuring we offer the most up-to-date sustainable and biodiverse developments in the marketplace,” says Swan.

Iddon admits he may be approaching it differently from others, as his background is one of engineering. He’s previously worked on Formula One cars and submarines but admits that doesn’t match the scale of what he is doing with this fertiliser.

Iddon explains: “When I was doing those, I felt good because I was looking after UK interests and service personnel. That was my contribution as an engineer. But if my contribution is ’how you can breed fungi and grow them using natural sources of nutrition to replace synthetic fertiliser.’ Well, that’s huge – I can’t think of anything bigger or more important with the environmental crisis the world is facing.”

That approach filters through every sentence of the discussion. It becomes clear how the research has paid off but also why: because he approached it with a respect for both nature and the unknown elements that he was trying to learn about. It has resulted in a product that doesn’t try to start from a clean canvas, and instead looks to embrace what works well within nature and incorporate that into a more controlled environment.

His ability to convey this message in a thoroughly engaging way but in a way that does not ignore an iota of context makes for a product, and a team that will be fascinating to follow for years to come.

Woodland Grow Fertiliser is now available to purchase online or through the Green-tech sales team on 01423 332100.