G'day, Choc Irwin here.

Some folk still seem to be having difficulty understanding that R.U.M. has several different uses.

Y'see, because the manufacturers (our 600 million compost worms) only have one big production line, nature has designed their 'product' to do as many jobs as possible.

Firstly, they've made R.U.M. oily to the touch so that a farmer can use it as an adhesive i.e. a sticker or wetter.

This means that when you use it as a sticker/wetter with your herbicides, fungicides and pesticides you won't be adding to the enormous chemical burden already imposed on your soil and plants.

R.U.M. is not a chemical . It is not 'manufactured'.

To remind everyone of this, we've decided to put it in handy 5L containers and brand it as HAMMER Wetting Agent, because it really helps your chemicals do their job properly.

Secondly, because R.U.M. is rich in beneficial soil bacteria and nutrients, it's a perfect starter for grain seeds and seedlings.

It gently scarifies the seed to allow ease of germination and then provides its own natural nutrients at the critical early development of the crop.

That's why you need the convenient 5L pack of GERMINATOR Seed Dressing. It's all 100% pure R.U.M.... but our marketing gurus reckon the new brands will help focus the mind.

More bang for your buck

The current hysteria surrounding the easy access to explosive materials has resulted in the withdrawal of ammonium nitrate from the fertiliser market.
These compounds are relatively cheap sources of Nitrogen and as such have been an invaluable aid to the fertiliser industry.
'Alternatives are readily available', say the press releases. But at what cost?
Cheaper? Highly bleeding unlikely, as Eliza Doolittle might have said. Perhaps this could signal a move to gentler forms of plant nutrition.
Take R.U.M. for instance. With a 15% liquid Nitrogen content and loads of important soil-friendly bacteria, our easy-to-apply plant food should be a part of every farmer's crop nutrition program.

Does R.U.M. have a use-by date?

The short answer is no.

Just like good wine-makers, we are constantly testing and comparing our past 'vintages' of R.U.M. with our new ones.

So far, the evidence is that the stored eight-year old article is every bit as potent as the stuff that percolated out of the 'vats' last week.

Keep R.U.M. in a well-sealed container stored away from excessive heat and there shouldn't be a problem.