Best supplier of compost 2024

@gks do you know if peat has been banned for 2024 for domestic gardeners? I can't find anything new on the subject

 

No ban, plus if it was going to be banned, it would not come into force until January 2025 anyways. There is no legislation in place yet to ban peat containing compost to the retailers in England and I doubt it will be discussed in parliament until after the general election. I am just carrying on as normal, had 2 loads of baled peat 288 cube in total delivered from Estonia 10 days ago. Got another 2 loads on order, blending it with the Irish peat as it is a bit on the wet side.

It will depend on the retailers if they stock peat free compost only, none of mine seem to have gone down that route. They are sticking with the tried and tested MPC but also stocking my peat free, let the consumer decide what they want to purchase.

 

I bought a couple of bags of peat free stuff to add to the peat based (dust) I bought at the end of last season, it really is awful stuff.
I dont think you can just assume if its peat it will be better, this stuff isn't.

 

Of all of the peat free flavours - this is the closest I have come to peat based. It's indistinguishable from the real mccoy. I've just planted a tray of Lobelia Sapphire Trailing - time will tell if is performs as good as it looks/feels.

It's darker in real life.

 

@clanless I quite often buy that.

 

pete - does it do a good job?

 

I think its one of the better ones, not too fine or too lumpy, seems to grow things reasonably well, but I often add more JI as they call it, or grit if I want better drainage.

I'm not convinced that any compost, straight from the bag, is a one type suits all affair, but probably good enough for bedding plants which is what most people want.

 

Just read a little post in the Garden News magazine from a reader saying -
"the news that Defra has not implemented the peat ban and it will not take place until 2030 "

As its a consumer magazine assume its refering to compost retail sales, not just trade growers ?
Would have thought if Garden News published it they would have verified it was true.

Cannot find any mention of it on the web ?

 

Manufacturers and growers were all lead to believe there was going to be an announcement in the King's speech which would of resulted in parliament passing a bill to ban peat. If it had went ahead it was going to be a ban on peat used in compost for retail sale from 2025, then from 2027 commercial growers could only use peat based composts in cells that did not exceeding 150ml with a total ban to all commercial growers from 2030.

As pointed out, for peat based composts to be unlawful from the start of 2025 it would have to be passed at a Private Members Bill, which is highly unlikely to happen. Most Private Members Bill don't actually become law. I still think a phasing out of peat will still happen, so if the ban on retail peat compost does not come in to force say until 2027, then I would expect the next two phasing out's to be 2029 and then 2032.

For the magazine to say a total ban in 2030 is premature, there is no legislation in place to back that. Defra can propose a ban but just like a Private Members Bill, very unlikely they alone could implement it to become law.

 

From a brief review of local outlets, it seems that the stores have decided to adopt a peat free stance without legislation. It also appears that £6.99 is to be the basic price for 50 litres, which is 35% more than we have generally paid last year.
Larger packs seem few and far between, am considering my options.

 

Bought 2 of these last week for £13.
Not seen any over 60ltr but I often wonder how accurate measuring something like this in litres really is.