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Poor quality bags of compost

LeadFarmerLeadFarmer Posts: 1,500
edited June 2022 in Problem solving
I'm finding most of the bags of compost I have tried this year to be quite poor.
I've bought a selection, some with peat and some peat free, and from different stores including Miracle Grow from garden centre, Aldi peat, Aldi peat free, Wilko compost and Tomorite Growbags.
The Tomorite seems the worst, containing lots of fibres that resemble coconut shell fibres and with a strange smell.
I'm wondering if they are having to gradually reduce the peat content, without advertising the fact, and substituting with other matter?
Anyone found any decent bagged compost this year?
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Posts

  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Sylvagrow, and Dalefoot.  You pay more but you get what you pay for.
    AB Still learning

  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I bought bog standard BnQ  peat free, multi purpose and was pleased with it. No big bits or rubbish, though it was very fibrous. All my seedlings grew well though, from lobelia to brassicas and tomatoes are doing fine, though it took me  a day or two to get the watering right. It is the classic 'free draining, water retaining', so you have to do the finger test or lift the pots to find out if they need watering.
  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    There have been a couple of very long threads on this. The main problem is variability between batches - so one person can find Brand X to be great, and another person can find another bag of Brand X to be terrible! It makes choosing very difficult. There's no doubt that the move to peat-free is changing the consistency and reliability. It is the bits of shredded plastic I object to...

    The brands Allotment Boy mentions are reputed to be very consistent, but they are expensive and are not widely available - I can't get it anywhere here, for instance, and I have 7 garden centres within driving distance!
  • ColinAColinA Posts: 392
    I have used Erin compost for the last couple of years and been successful
  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Best I've used is Clover, it's been consistently excellent for as long as I can remember.

    I had 2 years away from gardening and it was just the same on my return this year, proper stuff.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I might have this wrong but I thought that the fibres were added to improve the mix. A problem if you are potting small seedlings. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • g.kingg.king Posts: 46
    I have been a long time fan of Jack's Magic...
    Had several bags earlier this year without any issues, but the latest nag I bought was literally the worst compost I have ever used. Full of rubbish, twigs, etc and had a nauseating plastic smell to it. Checked the bag and found that it was "new improved formula" whereas my other bags were the original formula. 
    This has put me right off from buying JM ever again and will look to see what else is available. 
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    On another thread I complained bitterly about the New Horizon peat free stuff which was total rubbish ... and not cheap.
    A number of posters recommended Melcourt Sylvagrow, but it doesn't seem to be available here in Scotland. So I asked a friend who was visiting us from England to bring me some of their seed compost. It's very good.
    She also brought up a very large tomato planter from Happy Compost, also 100% peat free.
    It's also very good. Worth trying if you can get it.

    Bee x
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    ColinA said:
    I have used Erin compost for the last couple of years and been successful
    I have used Erin Malloy for 8 years,  this year, it’s just called Erin and it’s not so good,  lovely texture but not so good for the plants. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    @g.king That's my exact experience with Jack's Magic - the `new improved` isn't. I have some New Horizon peat free, and it looks like what comes out of my hoover bag... I am not using it for anything important. I have tried Happy peat free - that was the pits, twigs and shredded plastic.

    I think this all proves the points I was making above!
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