That's a helluva difference in those plants! I'd have to drive for an hour or so to get that Sylvagrow stuff, so hardly environmentally friendly. I got some peat free B&Q stuff today. Looks much like the Miracle Gro one. It's in the pots with the sweet peas, and since they need a lot of extra food, it'll probably be ok. The bottom half of the pot is rotted turf and manure.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Our independent local garden centre had it today. Lots of unusual and interesting plants too. Along with the usual suspects. There was a woman who was able to give me some useful advice too. The only downside is that they look after their plants so well, there's no A+E section.
I often wonder what did we do before supermarkets and garden centres? What did we feed our pets on before James Spratt created the first commercial dog food in 1860?
What did we do before compost was bagged up and sold commercially?
Think it's now time to get back to basics. For interest purposes only here's a link:
I usually get compost with peat, it's always worked for me. This year'though I bought three bags of peat free from home base only to'read on here the very same day it's rubbish and had killed off some posters seedlings.
So I've, up turned one off the compost bins on the plot and used the compost to sow cougettes, squash, beans and peas in. It's probably a big mistake but will know in a couple of weeks time if they germinate...It looked like good stuff smelt earthy and fresh and was finer than bought compost with no bits in...
Last year my wife came back from Home Bargains with three 50L bags of Growmoor 'Grow Plus' peat free compost for £2.99 each. I'd never seen the brand before and because I think of this store as a bit 'troggy' (rather disparaging I know) I dismissed it as a waste of money. How wrong was I? It's really nice stuff - great smell & feel - and is enriched with seaweed. The pots she did with it last year grew really well. I went back for some this year and it's still available but now up to £4.99. Still good value though.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
In the interests of balance, I'm happy to report no problems with Homebase peat free. I stocked up when it was on a 3 for 2 offer. Cucumber and dwarf chilli still on a windowsill indoors. Tomatoes in an unheated greenhouse Dahlias, also in the greenhouse. Some established tubers in big pots and some grown from seed last year. And finally, a hosta looking healthier than it ever has before I could have shown you a picture of my dahlia seed tray in which only one seed germinated and blamed the compost. However the seed packet had been open over 12 months and kept in a drawer in a room that averages 19C. Plus I may have let the compost get a bit too dry once or twice. I'm open to the possibility that I can get things wrong sometimes. If you're looking for a compost that looks, smells and has exactly the same properties as peat, you're going to have to buy peat. But if you'd like to do your bit, it is possible.
@Heartinthedirt - I read your thread with interest. I bought the same compost and had the same experience as you. It was disappointing and I wrote a thread about this before seeing your thread. I bought mine from Costco. Last year was good quality same brand I think? Same shop anyway. I can’t be bothered to bring it back so just going to have to dilute it with perlite and lots of air and water. I’ll see what the other bag looks like today. The smell was noticeable after the husband said it stank his car out when he bought it home.
Definitely one to avoid I think. I'm having success with Miracle Grow now, so not throwing in the peat-free towel just yet. And yes, it did stink!
It’s annoying because it wasn’t that cheap either and I mainly buy it to grow seeds in. So are you going to send them a bagged sample?
No, I got annoyed by them persistently batting it back at me and suggesting it was probably something I'd done wrong. Perhaps it was, but there was just a disappointing lack of customer service and I had a tant and told them to stuff it! Nicely, of course
Yes, it’s too bulky, smelly and troublesome to return for the sake of £15 so I’ll end up mixing it with home compost and perlite to improve it. I’ve noticed it really settles too once you’ve added water so it’s kind of fluffed up and you end up with a lot less in the bag than expected. Opposite to those compost which is light but expands to 3 times its volume when water is added which is more convenient but comes in smaller bags. Of course mixing the compost potentially adds more weed seeds which is what I didn’t want especially when sowing seeds.
Posts
After reading many posts on poor compost I decided to change most of my seedlings into new compost and what a change
So a huge Thank You to all that contributed
A Stock in Homebase muck and a award winning Favourite on here.
I will let you guess which one is the Homebase one.
I'd have to drive for an hour or so to get that Sylvagrow stuff, so hardly environmentally friendly.
I got some peat free B&Q stuff today. Looks much like the Miracle Gro one. It's in the pots with the sweet peas, and since they need a lot of extra food, it'll probably be ok. The bottom half of the pot is rotted turf and manure.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
There was a woman who was able to give me some useful advice too.
The only downside is that they look after their plants so well, there's no A+E section.
What did we do before compost was bagged up and sold commercially?
Think it's now time to get back to basics. For interest purposes only here's a link:
(https://www.compostfoundation.org/Portals/2/Documents/Another Short History of Composting-1.pdf)
....telling the history of composting. Who knew that the first 'evidence' of people making compost were Scottish about 5k years BC.
You'd have thought we'd have got the hang of it by now
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
So I've, up turned one off the compost bins on the plot and used the compost to sow cougettes, squash, beans and peas in. It's probably a big mistake but will know in a couple of weeks time if they germinate...It looked like good stuff smelt earthy and fresh and was finer than bought compost with no bits in...
On turf this was known as squidge, a very black slimy surface and very slippery. caused by a waterlogged surface with a low PH.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Cucumber and dwarf chilli still on a windowsill indoors.
Tomatoes in an unheated greenhouse
Dahlias, also in the greenhouse. Some established tubers in big pots and some grown from seed last year.
And finally, a hosta looking healthier than it ever has before
I could have shown you a picture of my dahlia seed tray in which only one seed germinated and blamed the compost. However the seed packet had been open over 12 months and kept in a drawer in a room that averages 19C. Plus I may have let the compost get a bit too dry once or twice. I'm open to the possibility that I can get things wrong sometimes.
If you're looking for a compost that looks, smells and has exactly the same properties as peat, you're going to have to buy peat. But if you'd like to do your bit, it is possible.