Best supplier of compost 2024

Back to compost - I am doing an experiment in one of my compost bins, being very selective in what I put in - green fern leaves, shredded paper and stinging nettle leaves. If I had comfrey I'd put that in too. I'm hoping to get something weed free to sow seeds in. Most of my compost sprouts hundreds of seedlings some bad, some good - I have a forest of parsley seedlings at the moment! I usually put it in large pots growing beans, tomatoes peas etc. then empty them on the beds and in the greenhouse in the autumn. That way most of the seeds have germinated and it is a much better texture. I can't get the high temperatures to kill weed seeds. Get lots of worms though and some big mottled green slugs that seem to stay in the bins.

 

We need a referendum.

 

You just have to turn it periodically, maybe moving from one bay to the other. Also you make sure there's an air gap under the bottom planks. Made marvellous compost for me last year anyway.

 

Going back at least 20 yrs my boss' wife was a microbiologist and for her MSc did a study using straw and I believe, sewage sludge, to make compost. The trouble is getting the funding for this R&D. The government closed down all the research centres and business isn't going to do it.

 

I really don't like peat free at all
,and I have tried it but imo the results are way inferior.
I tried the one that @clanless posted about as it's the same make as my normal ( peat) one. Perhaps it was me but germination was lower. I've gone back to the original one. ( the same as what Pete has recently bought)

 

The stuff that comes out of my compost bin is only any use as soil improver.
I wouldn't use it as potting compost.

 

I'd definitely have to mix mine with other things like coir, vermiculite etc.

 

Yeah that's what most of mine is used for but I tried using my new stuff to grow tomatoes last year. I added JI (I'd got some old No.1 that needed using up) and slow-release fertiliser. I got plenty of tomatoes but I had to water more than usual so this year I'll add some swell-gel or maybe some coir to try to retain more water.

 

I've found that the Melcourt composts work well, they are a touch pricey though.
For tomatoes. peppers etc I get cheapo peat free from a local supermarket, mix 50:50 with garden soil and add slow release fertiliser, this works well enough for me.

 

With the push to go peat free, making good peat free compost is going to come at a cost. This will be reflected in what you pay, it's going to be more pricey due to the extra work involved.

For those who are interested, the link below is worth a read. I have always opposed a ban on peat based composts due to lack of trials and information in going peat free.

PHC2021_02 Plant_waste_disposal_Policy_Summary.pdf (planthealthcentre.scot)

I know the above is regarding Scotland but myself and other manufactures have been contacted regarding, plant biosecurity risks in peat free growing media. Might be one reason why no legislation has yet been passed to ban peat based composts.

 

For info, this is what my compost from the modular plastic heap looks like. This is the stuff still in the heap that's been in since last back end:




And this is the finished compost that I harvested last August. Probably needs a year yet for all the wood shreddings to properly break down: