The Gardeners world mag have done a survey and have said Westland john innes seed compost as the best. But then a year or two ago, Which mag voted Verve as the best compost and that is awful. I dont think it matters much with seed compost, seeds will germinate on anything, try blotting paper or kitchen roll. Its the next stage where you need a good compost.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Kevin, I think you may be muddling bought-in compost with what you make yourself.
It's a shame they are both called compost. They are not the same.
If you have bought bad compost, take it back to the shop where you bought it and complain. That is who you have the contract with; they must give you your money back or whatever the remedy is. Do not forget to say you go on Gardening Message Boards and you will be publicizing their carp compost.
I have to say that rubbish bought-in compost is the result of gardeners claiming they want peat-free and various rules about land-fill etc, etc.
You're best making your own via a compost bin (available from local council) ...all your fruit & veg peelings over the year (only raw stuff though, not cooked) plus used teabags, coffee grounds, grass cuttings, dead flowers and plants, leaves, takes about 9-12 months to decompose but comes out perfect. Throw in a spadeful of garden of soil every now and again. Process is speeded up if you buy half a kilo of live Earthworms from an Angler's shop and put them in there to feast !! Sounds gruesome but they do produce perfect compost like factory workers.
If every householder dutifully and daily composted all their raw garden & kitchen waste (though not meat or dairy) there'd be no need to buy compost from anybody !
i've asked this before so apologies... what's the smallest compost bin available that works or should i try a wormery space vvv limited have tried to make my own from wooden slatted box lined with black plastic only one and a half ft deep 2 ft wie 1.5 across, doesn't seem to be rotting down that quickly
JdeV, of course the desire to use less peat is valid. But finding rubbish (glass, plastic, chunks of wood, concrete and brick, etc) in bought-in compost is a direct result of that.
That sort of stuff should have been screened out, but unless we complain it won't be.
Louise, a wormery may suit you for kitchen waste; not so suitable for garden waste.
As to making ones own compost; yes of course, but even a keen compost maker like myself cannot make 500 litres to fill a new veg bed with growing medium
There are some bad compost out there and it sounds as if you hit rock bottom with the stuff you brought. I would take it back and get your money back. Sometimes you get what you pay for with all due respects. I have just purchased 3 bags of Arthur Bowers MP compost at £3.99 for a 60L bag. Quality stuff and an all round compost. Would recommend it
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Does anybody know what seedling compost won a which award recently?
The Gardeners world mag have done a survey and have said Westland john innes seed compost as the best. But then a year or two ago, Which mag voted Verve as the best compost and that is awful. I dont think it matters much with seed compost, seeds will germinate on anything, try blotting paper or kitchen roll. Its the next stage where you need a good compost.
Kevin, I think you may be muddling bought-in compost with what you make yourself.
It's a shame they are both called compost. They are not the same.
If you have bought bad compost, take it back to the shop where you bought it and complain. That is who you have the contract with; they must give you your money back or whatever the remedy is. Do not forget to say you go on Gardening Message Boards and you will be publicizing their carp compost.
I have to say that rubbish bought-in compost is the result of gardeners claiming they want peat-free and various rules about land-fill etc, etc.
Welshonion,
Cheers!
But are the environmental concerns about compost from peat bogs not valid?
I have just bought 4x 125litre bags of Verve for my veg bed extension and found them to be fine; oh there was one small stone!
You're best making your own via a compost bin (available from local council) ...all your fruit & veg peelings over the year (only raw stuff though, not cooked) plus used teabags, coffee grounds, grass cuttings, dead flowers and plants, leaves, takes about 9-12 months to decompose but comes out perfect. Throw in a spadeful of garden of soil every now and again. Process is speeded up if you buy half a kilo of live Earthworms from an Angler's shop and put them in there to feast !!
Sounds gruesome but they do produce perfect compost like factory workers.
If every householder dutifully and daily composted all their raw garden & kitchen waste (though not meat or dairy) there'd be no need to buy compost from anybody !
i've asked this before so apologies... what's the smallest compost bin available that works or should i try a wormery space vvv limited have tried to make my own from wooden slatted box lined with black plastic only one and a half ft deep 2 ft wie 1.5 across, doesn't seem to be rotting down that quickly
JdeV, of course the desire to use less peat is valid. But finding rubbish (glass, plastic, chunks of wood, concrete and brick, etc) in bought-in compost is a direct result of that.
That sort of stuff should have been screened out, but unless we complain it won't be.
Louise, a wormery may suit you for kitchen waste; not so suitable for garden waste.
As to making ones own compost; yes of course, but even a keen compost maker like myself cannot make 500 litres to fill a new veg bed with growing medium
There are some bad compost out there and it sounds as if you hit rock bottom with the stuff you brought. I would take it back and get your money back. Sometimes you get what you pay for with all due respects. I have just purchased 3 bags of Arthur Bowers MP compost at £3.99 for a 60L bag. Quality stuff and an all round compost. Would recommend it