they have had the same smelly woodchip nonsense in them - it's about ripping off the consumer, not being peat free IMO.
I think they are just not set up for the change. Companies quickly get a reputation for selling rubbish and I am not sure anyone would bring that down on themselvs by choice.
As I said, I was talking about Westland general (not peat free) MPC. I suppose it might be that their entire manufacturing chain was gearing up for the change, including their non-peat free lines.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
That's interesting @Loxley, Wentworth isn't shown on Melcourt's stockist list. I put in Sylvagrow multipurpose which I guessed would be the least "niche" and most widely available, and I think the nearest stockist shown is even further away than last year. Wentworth isn't en-route to anywhere that I drive to, and it's further than I would want to go just to buy compost particularly if I wasn't sure that they'd have it. I have been there once or twice in the past so I could go again, maybe for another look at the attached Historic Gardens.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I don't know if anyone else has noticed but at my local garden centre claimed they have far more spoiled bags because people are ripping holes in them to see what is inside.
I remember hearing that some places where going to offer compost where you fill your own bags. I would love that because you could have a decent look before hand but I have never seen anywhere offering the service.
In my experience, peat free compost is a complete waste of money. The first time I had a complete failure of hanging baskets and window boxes was the first year I used peat free compost! You need to mix it with something for drainage, otherwise the roots just rot. I now mix mine with my own compost bin creation. It seems to work.
I know I have mentioned this before but I think it's worth repeating. Part of the issue is we have all got used to just opening a bag and using the contents without the need to do or think of anything else. Too many gardening shows and so called expert continue to promote this practice. Last year on the Beechgrove garden series the new (ish) head gardener did a small feature showing how he amended the bought stuff with sharp sand, grit, garden compost etc depending on what he was growing. It's worth finding on iplayer if you want to know. I accept that a lot of people don't have the space to keep multiple amounts of materials, but that's what the old gardeners did and most of us will have to return to such practice if we are able.
I forgot to mention, on the Beechgrove feature the first thing he did in all cases was riddle or seive the MPC to get any big bits of wood chip etc out. Also I have been amending composts for some time even some of the peat based ones. I only have a modest suburban garden and a small greenhouse, but I keep a bag of MPC, soil, grit and sand on the go most of the time.
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I remember hearing that some places where going to offer compost where you fill your own bags. I would love that because you could have a decent look before hand but I have never seen anywhere offering the service.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Part of the issue is we have all got used to just opening a bag and using the contents without the need to do or think of anything else. Too many gardening shows and so called expert continue to promote this practice. Last year on the Beechgrove garden series the new (ish) head gardener did a small feature showing how he amended the bought stuff with sharp sand, grit, garden compost etc depending on what he was growing. It's worth finding on iplayer if you want to know.
I accept that a lot of people don't have the space to keep multiple amounts of materials, but that's what the old gardeners did and most of us will have to return to such practice if we are able.
Also I have been amending composts for some time even some of the peat based ones. I only have a modest suburban garden and a small greenhouse, but I keep a bag of MPC, soil, grit and sand on the go most of the time.