Results very variable. Interesting though that John Innes had the worst results overall the different trials. I always mix mine in anyway. Seems to me you pays your money and takes your choice. Sometimes you get good stuff...sometimes you get rubbish...literally
Have just transplanted 48 small mixed salvia plants which were grown from cuttings, they have a really extensive root system!
Also have lots of Echinacea seedlings from seed saved from named varieties are now germinating.
The seeds and cuttings were sown/rooted in a mixture of finely riddled pure peat and washed river sand, six of peat to one of sand which gives a nice open mixture!
i am in dispute with homebase at the moment regarding there multipurpose compost on sale for 2x 120 ltr bags for £ 14 sounds a good price until you start to use this rubbish and that is what it is bits of wood ,plastic , small stones even a bit of glass and a high percentage of wood chippings added to bulk up the bag, i returned both bags to homebase for a refund but i have lost a lot of seedlings as there seems to be some kind of contamination in the compost still waiting to hear from homebase regarding this issue ,what they did say was that westland was there supplier and i should contact them. mr angry.
I personally don't find Westland compost that great at all, I bought it last year and it was more like bark.
i have used the garden compost from my composter for the first time this year since I started it 2 years ago, for seeds and cuttings I have just added sand which has worked out just fine.
I use peat free New Horizon, it has worked fine for beetroot, chillis, spring onions, tomatoes, pak choi, french beans, leeks, sweetcorn etc. I am suspicious of Which trials. For example, not feeding tomatoes before planting out is bizarre. It sounds like they are mainly testing fertiliser levels. And of course compost varies not only from year to year, but sometimes within a year. NH has varied this year, some bags are woodier than ideal, but it still works. I picked up some Lidl compost today, 25l for £1.29, 200L for just over £10. Peat free too.
Jack's Magic apparently made by Westland. Fine, crumbly and everything grows well. This year however following GW mag trial I am going to use grow bags and see if I get the same results.
Why do people use peat? As I said, I've germinated and grown a wide range of veg in peat free compost with success. I get close to 100% germination with good seed.
I suspect that J Arthur Bowers grow bags are contaminated with something that is affecting plant growth. Earlier this year I bought 11 grow bags and planted 33 tomatoes both inside and outside my greenhouse. Of the 33 plants only one flourished. All of the others just refused to grow and the leaves became dark in colour. Tomatoes grown from the same seed but in different compost all did well. I have e mailed William Sinclair Horticulture LTD at [email protected] with photographs which clearly show the problem. I suggest others with the same problem do the same.
Posts
Results very variable. Interesting though that John Innes had the worst results overall the different trials. I always mix mine in anyway. Seems to me you pays your money and takes your choice. Sometimes you get good stuff...sometimes you get rubbish...literally
.
Have just transplanted 48 small mixed salvia plants which were grown from cuttings, they have a really extensive root system!
Also have lots of Echinacea seedlings from seed saved from named varieties are now germinating.
The seeds and cuttings were sown/rooted in a mixture of finely riddled pure peat and washed river sand, six of peat to one of sand which gives a nice open mixture!
They were all kept in the greenhouse!
Hope they continue as they have started!
I personally don't find Westland compost that great at all, I bought it last year and it was more like bark.
i have used the garden compost from my composter for the first time this year since I started it 2 years ago, for seeds and cuttings I have just added sand which has worked out just fine.
I use peat free New Horizon, it has worked fine for beetroot, chillis, spring onions, tomatoes, pak choi, french beans, leeks, sweetcorn etc. I am suspicious of Which trials. For example, not feeding tomatoes before planting out is bizarre. It sounds like they are mainly testing fertiliser levels. And of course compost varies not only from year to year, but sometimes within a year. NH has varied this year, some bags are woodier than ideal, but it still works. I picked up some Lidl compost today, 25l for £1.29, 200L for just over £10. Peat free too.
Why do people use peat? As I said, I've germinated and grown a wide range of veg in peat free compost with success. I get close to 100% germination with good seed.
I suspect that J Arthur Bowers grow bags are contaminated with something that is affecting plant growth. Earlier this year I bought 11 grow bags and planted 33 tomatoes both inside and outside my greenhouse. Of the 33 plants only one flourished. All of the others just refused to grow and the leaves became dark in colour. Tomatoes grown from the same seed but in different compost all did well. I have e mailed William Sinclair Horticulture LTD at [email protected] with photographs which clearly show the problem. I suggest others with the same problem do the same.