Our process: from raw material to finished pellet

SoilWorx organic fertiliser pellets start life as poultry manure and other organic materials from UK food production. By the time they leave our plant, they are a consistent, safe, concentrated fertiliser that delivers nutrition and organic matter in every application. Transparency about that process matters to us, and to many of our customers.

Here is how we make our fertiliser.

Step 1: Sourcing

We source poultry manure from traceable UK suppliers. Knowing where our raw material comes from allows us to maintain consistent nutrient analysis and quality across batches.

In some products we also incorporate feather meal, bone meal and seaweed, all sourced from byproducts of UK food production. Nothing is imported specifically for fertiliser manufacture.

Step 2: Drying

The raw material is dried to reduce moisture content and prepare it for processing. Drying concentrates the nutrients and enables effective heat treatment. Precise moisture control at this stage is what makes a consistent finished product possible.

Step 3: Sterilisation

Every batch is heated above 70°C. This step is non-negotiable:

Eliminates pathogens including E. coli and Salmonella
Kills weed seeds
Destroys harmful bacteria
Reduces odour

Heat treatment is what distinguishes processed pellet fertiliser from raw manure. It is also a requirement for our OMRI and Organic Trust certifications, and for safe use on Class 1 vegetables, food crops and public-access areas including sports grounds and parks.

Step 4: Pelletisation

The dried, heat-treated material is compressed through a pellet mill under high pressure, forming consistent, dense pellets. No binders or additives are used: the manufacturing pressure alone creates the structural integrity of the pellet.

The result is a uniform pellet, typically 3–5 mm in diameter, with a bulk density of approximately 0.54 kg per litre. This consistent pellet size is what allows our products to flow through any standard fertiliser spreader, from pedestrian broadcast spreaders to large disc spreaders, without bridging or blockage.

Step 5: Cooling and screening

Pellets are cooled and screened after manufacture. Dust and any off-specification material are removed. Only pellets that meet our size and density specifications proceed to packing. Fines and dust are recycled back into the process.

Step 6: Quality checking

Every batch is tested before despatch. We check nutrient analysis, moisture content, pellet size and microbial status. Our quality data is available to customers on request and supports traceability from raw material to field.

Step 7: Packaging and Dispatch

Finished pellets are packed to order or held in covered storage for planned despatch. We supply in bags from 10 kg to 1-tonne bulk bags, and in bulk tipped loads for large agricultural customers. All packaging states the batch number and nutrient analysis for full traceability.

Production capacity

Our fully automated plant has a production capacity of up to 500 tonnes of organic fertiliser pellets per week. This scale supports reliable supply for large agricultural customers, consistent stock for the retail and amenity market, and the ability to manufacture specialist products in volume.

Automation also ensures consistent pellet quality batch to batch. Manual or smaller-scale production cannot achieve the same level of specification control.

Research & development

We work with Rothamsted Research to test the agronomic performance of our products in real field conditions. Rothamsted is the world’s oldest agricultural research station, with over 180 years of continuous soil and crop research. Field trials conducted with their teams give both us and our customers confidence in how SoilWorx products perform under UK growing conditions.

This research partnership also informs product development: new formulations and refinements to existing products are tested in trials before commercial release.

Want to find out more?

Read more about how pellet fertiliser works, or browse our product range.