Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Compost Nowadays is Rubbish!

happyhackerhappyhacker Posts: 41
in Problem solving
May of my seeds and plants either don't appear or struggle for life e.g. I have planted a bed with carrot seeds four times now and only a few come up, Elsewhere in the garden where I have not dug bought compost in, up they come (carrots and onions). Is it the compost I wonder? I think it is in fact I'm dammed sure it is. I am wondering if I should just overwinter with green manure on the allotment and dig it in, only buy seed compost (or will the ruin that next ear?). Ideas very welcome. Of course I make my own but can be 'sluggy'!
«134

Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I normally don't buy houseplant compost as I mix up my own but I bought a bag of Focus houseplant stuff this year and it was great. Inspired by that I went back for more only to have to settle for MiracleGro houseplant compost instead as they didn't have the other stuff. Worst compost I've ever seen :|  They should be embarrassed to even sell the stuff. Very frustrating and a waste of money which doesn't do much for the company's reputation.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Does anyone ever return crap compost?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It's rarely worth the effort for me as I don't buy that much of it. Even the worst stuff is good for mulching plants.
    I bought Silvagrow peat-free John Innes last year and it was OK. Not as good as the peat based stuff but good enough for my purposes. This year it's got much more clay in it and bakes into rock hard lumps if you don't break it up with leaf mould or something. I guess they're restricted by the quality of the 'loam' they can get hold of which will always impact how consistant the quality will be.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    @happyhacker we have our own compost areas. Over the years we have tried carrots "outside" with many different seeds over many weeks and no germination. We then started sowing in the polytunnel (same type of seeds) and we are able to harvest a great crop for many months well into the winter times.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    carrots and onions prefer a sandy soil rather than a humus rich soil.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    happyhacker said:
    Of course I make my own but can be 'sluggy'!
    Unless your compost heap reached 60ºC (and I bet it didn't) your compost will have all types of wildlife.  Good and bad.  Especially if you re-use secondhand compost.

    Compost for seeds and cuttings needs sterilising.  I have read recently that hydrogen peroxide will do the trick, but I have no more than that bare claim.  I take a panfull at a time up to 60ºC.  An oven would do the trick.  Both also seem to aid the texture and release a bit of fertility.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    There must be a dozen threads or more on this topic,  this year alone. Everyone is finding the same. 
    AB Still learning

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Carrots certainly don't like rich conditions, as @fidgetbones says. Old compost is fine for germinating them, and then it'll depend how and where you're growing them as to what you do. I've only ever done them in containers, using the previous year's compost from annuals etc, which is ideal for that. Easy enough to take out any weeds that appear because it will be obvious where the carrots are if you sow in lines   :)
    I think many people are giving up on commercial composts @Allotment Boy and finding other ways of growing - their own compost with grit added, sifted garden soil, mixes with leaf mould and so on. Manure added if it's for plants that need more oomph etc.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    My old neighbour used to say that our sandy soil grew great carrots, except for the stones making them fork and twist. She had what you might call an earthy sense of humour and took great delight in the "comedy carrots" :D.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Researched compost on my search engine due to poor results as there is no peat in compost. I found a recipe. Add 1 part manure from GC to 5 parts compost and mix thoroughly. Tried it out this summer with good results with seedlings if you manage to grow them in the first place as I have had poor results this year.
Sign In or Register to comment.