We spent a couple of days in early April in Sherringham, Norfolk and visited a brilliant nursery near the village of Holt. They have been trialing various compost brands and told us they have found the best to be a brand calld 'Clover'. I've tried to get it in Bristol but cannot find any stockists here. They do have a website so I've emailed the Clover Co. for nearest stockists but not received a reply as yet. Will carry on using Westland for the time being at least as that seems to be the best I've come accross to date.
This is an excellent thread - thanks. I was particularly interested to hear what franco6832 had to say about J Arthur Bowers. I bought 6 bags recently, because my local DIY store was stocking it, and because it had a label on saying Which Best Buy 2012. If it's a which best buy, I thought it must be good. It's actually like finely chipped wood bark! I can't use it in containers, and have mixed up the first bag with other stuff to get rid of it around the garden.
I've been winding myself up to write to J Arthur and ask if this bag was a one-off dud. Apparently not . I will email and complain - I have another five bags of "compost" I don't know what to do with.
I`ve been using Blue Diamond compost at work and have found it excellent so far and at £4 for 70 litres i won`t be complaining, the girlfriend picked up a bag of Morissons own brand compost for home and it was awful, just wood chippings.
Which Magazine recomends Verve Compost there Growbags can be used forSeeds, Cuttings as well as Plants, I have had good results.5 bags for the cost of 4 at B&Q on a senior citizens card on Wednesday you get 10% off
Blue boots take the remaining bags back( along with your receipt) and if you have any of the open bag left take that as well to show them what they contain.Be polite and explain that the contents are not as described and not fit for the purpose they are being sold for. You hopefully will get a refund. I purchased 3 bags of Growise from a local independant garden centre ( I live in mid Wales) and it is very good . I shall be going back for more if they have any left.
I to have had good results from B& Q Verve,and also been taking advantage of their multibuy and Weds 10%discount.Not had any plastic or lumps of wood in mine.
The big problem with compost is that you have to lug it home and only then do you see if it's any good or not.
And not everybody is able to trek back with it quickly which means buyers are often putting up with an inferior product.
I got some from the big nursery when I lived near it but the problem is that the bags aren't totally sealed- would need to be careful if I get them now- it's a half hour drive! At least I can see the quality of it though.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
my local centre have changed from the westland as soooo many complaints it is all fibrious. terrible. .they goen back to murphys they had years ago.. and it is good stuff.
so not had problem with this one yet and it is 3 bags for a tenner.. 50 litre bags.
Last year I bought a small bag of Westland Multi Purpose with added John Innes & it was the best I'd ever tried, really fine & no large bits at all.
This year I bought J Arthur Bowers MP with added JI, 5 for £15 as it came in 35 litre bags which I thought I'd be handle more easily. They are so wet they weigh more than some of the 60 litre ones I've had in the past! I was also swayed by the fact it stated Which best buy compost 2012....
As other say, it is full of fairly large twigs & has a really rough texture. I'm not happy as I bought it to pot on seedlings & then fill all my greenhouse pots for tomatoes, chillis & my outdoor pots for everything else.
As for taking compost back, I agree people should, to help solve the problem of rubbish compost being sold.. It's often so hard to do though if you need someone to help load the car up at both ends etc. I guess suppliers know this, hence why the continue to produce/sell it. It would be so much better if only decent stuff was sold in the first place.
So what to swap it for if I do take it back. We seem to have one good & one bad review about the Westland, are you both talking about the MP with added JI? Nothing worse than going to all that effort of swapping & getting home with one worst still!
Posts
We spent a couple of days in early April in Sherringham, Norfolk and visited a brilliant nursery near the village of Holt. They have been trialing various compost brands and told us they have found the best to be a brand calld 'Clover'. I've tried to get it in Bristol but cannot find any stockists here. They do have a website so I've emailed the Clover Co. for nearest stockists but not received a reply as yet. Will carry on using Westland for the time being at least as that seems to be the best I've come accross to date.
This is an excellent thread - thanks. I was particularly interested to hear what franco6832 had to say about J Arthur Bowers. I bought 6 bags recently, because my local DIY store was stocking it, and because it had a label on saying Which Best Buy 2012. If it's a which best buy, I thought it must be good. It's actually like finely chipped wood bark! I can't use it in containers, and have mixed up the first bag with other stuff to get rid of it around the garden.
I've been winding myself up to write to J Arthur and ask if this bag was a one-off dud. Apparently not
. I will email and complain - I have another five bags of "compost" I don't know what to do with.
I`ve been using Blue Diamond compost at work and have found it excellent so far and at £4 for 70 litres i won`t be complaining, the girlfriend picked up a bag of Morissons own brand compost for home and it was awful, just wood chippings.
Which Magazine recomends Verve Compost there Growbags can be used forSeeds, Cuttings as well as Plants, I have had good results.5 bags for the cost of 4 at B&Q on a senior citizens card on Wednesday you get 10% off
Blue boots take the remaining bags back( along with your receipt) and if you have any of the open bag left take that as well to show them what they contain.Be polite and explain that the contents are not as described and not fit for the purpose they are being sold for. You hopefully will get a refund. I purchased 3 bags of Growise from a local independant garden centre ( I live in mid Wales) and it is very good . I shall be going back for more if they have any left.
I to have had good results from B& Q Verve,and also been taking advantage of their multibuy and Weds 10%discount.Not had any plastic or lumps of wood in mine.
The big problem with compost is that you have to lug it home and only then do you see if it's any good or not.
And not everybody is able to trek back with it quickly which means buyers are often putting up with an inferior product.
I got some from the big nursery when I lived near it but the problem is that the bags aren't totally sealed- would need to be careful if I get them now- it's a half hour drive! At least I can see the quality of it though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
my local centre have changed from the westland as soooo many complaints it is all fibrious. terrible. .they goen back to murphys they had years ago.. and it is good stuff.
so not had problem with this one yet and it is 3 bags for a tenner.. 50 litre bags.
Last year I bought a small bag of Westland Multi Purpose with added John Innes & it was the best I'd ever tried, really fine & no large bits at all.
This year I bought J Arthur Bowers MP with added JI, 5 for £15 as it came in 35 litre bags which I thought I'd be handle more easily. They are so wet they weigh more than some of the 60 litre ones I've had in the past! I was also swayed by the fact it stated Which best buy compost 2012....
As other say, it is full of fairly large twigs & has a really rough texture. I'm not happy as I bought it to pot on seedlings & then fill all my greenhouse pots for tomatoes, chillis & my outdoor pots for everything else.
As for taking compost back, I agree people should, to help solve the problem of rubbish compost being sold.. It's often so hard to do though if you need someone to help load the car up at both ends etc. I guess suppliers know this, hence why the continue to produce/sell it. It would be so much better if only decent stuff was sold in the first place.
So what to swap it for if I do take it back. We seem to have one good & one bad review about the Westland, are you both talking about the MP with added JI? Nothing worse than going to all that effort of swapping & getting home with one worst still!
I've bought grow bags this year as lighter and cheaper and then mixed with home made compost - be interesting to see the results!