recommendatios please for organic, peat free compost delivered loose (plastic free as possible)

Posts

• Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889

  January 2020

  I'd say without detailed analysis of any manure , farmyard, stable of otherwise, you can't tell the chemical content , no matter what Monty Don might say.

  Devon.

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• Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

  January 2020

  I had some very good quality topsoil from CPA
  They sell an organic compost, and nationwide delivery - no idea what it's like but you can have a look
  https://www.cpa-horticulture.co.uk/compost
  

  
  Billericay - Essex
  
  Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
  Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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• Allotment Boy Posts: 6,774

  January 2020

  @Gardener Eve  You don't say which part of London but Thompsons of Crews Hill Enfield deliver both bagged and bulk bags. They are not cheap but I have always been pleased with their products. Delivery costs vary depending on how far away from Enfield you are. Have you tried your local council for composted green waste?

  AB Still learning
  
  

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• Gardener Eve Posts: 118

  January 2020

  Thanks Pansyface, Pete8 and allotmentboy,  will have a look!
  
  Yes, if my garden was bigger I'd have an area for stable muck to break down but it would be in view where ever it went plus we'd smell it! I'm guessing you need a load of it to get a decent amount...?
   Plus our poor neighbours wouldn't be happy with the smell either. we do have a generous garden for a london garden but not as big as i'd like plus we grow flowers, fruit and a veggy patch, a greenhouse, shed, hedge, etc plus new trees  & wildlife pond planned- it's already getting majorly full...I've been trying to set up a small compost heap for our own waste and even the location for that has been a pain to work out & still under review and that wouldn't be as smelly as horse manure.
  
  Appreciate what you're saying hostafan1 but I choose to create/ purchase as light footed on the earth as I can and go on the best most sensible info I have at that time & Monty's point re farm vs horse manure does make sense to me.
  
  I've also had a look at this organic peat free growchar stuff- sadly would come in plastic bags but seems to add value for a long time so maybe overall a good choice as wouldn't need a yearly application...
  
  Thanks again everyone- I'll go and research now... : )
  
  

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• Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889

  January 2020 edited January 2020

  Gardener Eve said:

  
  
  Appreciate what you're saying hostafan1 but I choose to create/ purchase as light footed on the earth as I can and go on the best most sensible info I have at that time & Monty's point re farm vs horse manure does make sense to me.
  
  
  

  Why does it make sense when it's  impossible to know what's in either?
  
  The RHS says both stable and farmyard manure CAN be contaminated. Not WILL be, but CAN be.
  
  https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=477
  

  Devon.

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• ateddybearpicnic Posts: 1

  May 2020

  @Gardener Eve Hi, what did you go for in the end?
  I've just started looking into this and had the exact same requirements as you, on my search for compost, i.e. peat-free compost, plastic-free, location
  It's not so easy to pin down! Definitely requires some research time as you mentioned in your last post.
  

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• KeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831

  May 2020

  Agree with @Allotment Boy   Thompson’s of Crews Hill are great.  They are just up the road from us and we have been using them for years.  They normally deliver in dumpy bags, if you buy large quantities.  You could always return the bags to them when you are finished with them.    

  
  

  Another suggestion, my allotments have a horticultural society which you can join for a nominal fee, even if you do not have a plot.  Once you are a member, you can help yourself to the regular deliveries of horse manure.  It’s fresh, so you would need to leave it a few months before use.  There may be a similar scheme near you.  

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• Gardener Eve Posts: 118

  May 2020

  Hello! 
  Well a few things ... 
  1/ we finally made a composter bin of our own to start producing our own organic compost, with no miles or plastic etc and so far  pleased..
  
  its basically a chicken wire inner with a recycled bit of fence panel we had left for the outer. I didn’t  want the outer material to touch the composting material as it’s treated so the inner compost  is as contamination free as poss- it’s just the fence makes it pretty as we can see it!! 
  
  2/ with corona virus hitting I panicked and did end up getting a few bags of new horizons which is at least peat free if not plastic free
   
  3/ I also got a tub of carbon gold gro char soil improver to add when planting and have used it when planting out all the veggies , sweet peas etc but probably too soon to tell the results but I’ll add some pictures. The broad beans doing well-  although hard to quantify the results as it’s the first year I’ve tried this variety!  Again not plastic free but after researching is organic and long lasting and seemed an great way to improve my existing soil... 
  (rather than manure which will have hormones etc from farm plus lots of mastic bags as you need volume.) 
  I hope that helps! 😊
  
  

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• Gardener Eve Posts: 118

  May 2020

  The compost bin that will hopefully soon yield our own organic compost and the broad beans that had some gro char when I planted : )

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• Fire Posts: 19,096

  May 2020 edited May 2020

  Keep the compost bags and reuse. They are amazingly handy in the garden. Our local nursey is collecting the bags for storing aggregates, moving plants etc.
  

  The entire universe is made up of "chemicals".
  

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