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Can anyone recommend a good multi-purpose compost with little to no wetting agent?

NewGardener25NewGardener25 Posts: 47
in Plants
Thank you! 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I don't understand the question. What do you mean by a wetting agent? 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Wetting agents are stuff that breaks down surface tension of water so that it is more easily absorbed by the compost. 
    Commonly used in peat based composts … don’t know about peat-free composts but I suspect they could do with it 

    https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/forum/on-the-plot/vegging-out/6061-contains-a-wetting-agent

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ah - thanks for that @Dovefromabove. Not something I would ever have need of  ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited August 2021
    😂 

    it helps when trying to water containers that have previously dried out. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    A tiny drop of washing-up liquid in a bucket of water to dunk dried-out potted plants in helps with re-wetting if it's needed. But to answer the original question, I've never noticed a bag of compost that said on it whether there was a wetting agent used or not. Maybe it's in teeny tiny small print somewhere. All the ones I've ever used can be hard to re-wet if they get completely dried out (either in the bag or in a plant pot) so if they did contain a wetting agent, the effect wasn't noticeable to me.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • parrotfeather*parrotfeather* Posts: 188
    I recommend Melcourt Sylvagrow peat-free compost.  It is not sold in many places around here unfortunately but the RHS garden centres have a special offer on it so I stocked up at Bridgewater.  It is a Which? best buy.  No mention of a wetting agent on the bag but then I can't remember seeing it on any bag.
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