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Post by Spruance on May 16, 2013 15:25:53 GMT
There seems to be a great variation in the quality of multi-purpose and other composts this year and so I just wondered what other people were using. I use quite a lot of multi-purpose down at the tomato factory  in the GH but usually have to pass it through a riddle/sieve to remove the lumps of wood and other debris. Also, all of the John Innes No.3 seems to have far more grit content than usual, which is no doubt a cost motivated factor. B&Q's offering seems to be consistently good but otherwise it seems to be entirely down to pot luck what you end up with. So, any recommendations? |
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Post by Jasmine on May 16, 2013 17:24:03 GMT
Our local GC found a source of well stored MPC from the defunct Focus/Payless chain which it was selling at a bargain price. Sadly it has all been snapped up but it was great! There were no bits of metal, plastic and glass in it!
Otherwise I use JA Bowers or Westlands - depending on the best offer. I often find non-compostable bits in the bags though.
They say they grade bits/foreign bodies out in the processing they do but if something big goes through it breaks the grader and bigger bits that shouldn't be in the compost gets through.
It's the bits of glass that bother me most.
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Post by andy on May 17, 2013 5:10:44 GMT
I use JA Bowers compost purely because it's usually on offer from my local Wyevale. Picked up 6 x 50 litre bags for £20 yesterday and noticed it has a "which best buy" stamp on it.
It's always been ok...each batch can vary and i usually add a bit of growmore for my toms and cues.
Other than that, i tend to mix my own using spent compost, mushroom compost and growmore.
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Post by Geranium on May 17, 2013 5:37:31 GMT
I had a bad experience with B&Q multi-purpose, which had plastic in it - but it's usually fine. I tend to use Westland on the whole, but the last two bales have definitely changed and are 'rougher' in texture.
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Post by andy on May 17, 2013 7:31:12 GMT
I thought there was some national thing where compost companies had to reduce the amount of peat in their composts by something like 15%. Shame they replaced it with the sweepings off a joiners floor !!!!!
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Post by Spruance on May 17, 2013 13:32:25 GMT
Our local council started a fortnightly green waste collection last year and I put any old rubbish in that - perennial weeds, pyracantha prunings, rose prunings, diseased plants etc, so I guess what goes around comes around. Our GC also has regular offers. Currently they have Shamrock compost which I had last year and didn't think much too. Have also had good experience with Aldi's own brand but they have bitten the peat-free bullet this year so will probably give them a miss for now. Asda sell own brand compost but there never seem to be any broken bags to see what it's like and I don't think they would appreciate me making a hole in a bag and then not buying any. It looks like they are all as bad - or good - as each other then. Thanks for the info.  |
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Post by prodigal gardener on Jun 14, 2013 7:11:42 GMT
I bought the asda compost and its not all that fabulous tbh. Quite a few lumps in it, but on the whole not bad for the price. That shamrock stuff is awful tho. I had a bag of that in my greenhouse for years because it was so awful I couldn't use it. It's probably still there !
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Post by Auricula on Jun 14, 2013 8:30:59 GMT
B and Qs "Verve" is the least lumpy that I have found, although I ususally buy JAB's from Wyevale as it is often on special offer.
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Post by andy on Jun 14, 2013 9:54:46 GMT
My local Wyevale is selling the Westland multipurpose with added John Innes for £1 for a 28 litre bag. Picked up 20 bags the other day....my poor ickle Toyota yaris was struggling to get up anything that could be vaguely described as a hill !!!!
It is 2011 compost tho but a bit of growmore in there and it works great. Lovely texture to work with too. Gardening Which! had an article on garden centres selling old compost....apparently, it's quite common.
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Post by Ladygardener on Jun 14, 2013 20:14:10 GMT
I'v used most of the branded names above. Currently I'm using the Westland MP with JI and I do like it. It does'nt seem to dry out the same way as some of the others. Or maybe that's because we've had so much rain.  |
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Post by Tig on Oct 3, 2013 18:38:15 GMT
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 4, 2013 7:39:52 GMT
Thanks very much for that link Tig. I'd not heard a thing about it. That's quite an extensive list on page 2.. I'll try to be more careful in future and always wear gloves. Verve which is B&Q brand, their compost is recommended by Gardening Which. I'm using it at the moment, 125ltr bag that Jenny got the last time she was here and I do like it. Of course there are little bits of wood etc.. in it but on the whole it seems grand and very good value for money. |
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in the GH but usually have to pass it through a riddle/sieve to remove the lumps of wood and other debris. Also, all of the John Innes No.3 seems to have far more grit content than usual, which is no doubt a cost motivated factor.
