which compost?

hi guys just wondered which compost everyone uses, i bought 3 bags of j arthur bowers yesterday and i have got to say i am totally disgusted with the quality, its not really compost more like a bag of fibre and chipped pallets, this is something i have found with a few makes of compost over the last year, i have spent most of today with my riddle trying to get some good stuff out of a bag of rubbish , 2 thirds of the bag are just fibres . sorry to moan but needed to get it off my chest as i feel i have just wasted money that i can barely afford to spend
thanks
dave

 

I've used probably 20 bags of "j arthur bowers" this spring, and its all been fine, so I suspect its down to batch. I bought mine early on, so were probably tail end of last Season's. Plenty of people complaining about Wickes this year, and last year they were No.1 choice I think.

I seem to remember someone saying, a few years back, that they all get the peat from the same, few, suppliers, so it depends where they are digging from as to how much "wood" etc. it contains ... plus I suspect that they are having to reduce peat, and increase composted-waste etc., which is also a very variable comodity.

May be time to switch to one of the newer brands that has been using composted waste the longest, I seem to remember good results from them on the Beechgrove gardening program last year, but sadly I don't remember which brands gave them the best results.

 

I worked at a client on friday, and planted a few shrubs .... they had compost from a company called Erin

was not too bad (if mixed with topsoil and some manure)

on it's own, felt a bit 'light'

 

I remember JAB being the best thing since sliced bread many, many moons ago. I still go with B & Q as the most currently consistent at the moment. Apart from my little Grandiol 20ltr bag from Lidyls at 99p !!

 

I have used the B&Q own compost in the purple bags for a couple of years now and fine it very good and consistant .. 3 for £10 with 10% of for over 60's on Wednesday.

Dave

 

Seems like B n Q is the compost of choice this year Dave . Wickes seem to have shot them selves in the foot, Westland looks like Wickes......... must say some JAB I bought seems ok . Nice to know you get 10% on offers as well at B n Q

 

I had the same problem with JAB 2 years ago. Just used the last of B & Q bale usualy I riddle my compost if I want a fine mix. Bought 4 bags Wickes last week aready used 1½ bags it dont seem too bad 85% peat rest fine shedded wood to make up the rest. When I've used the remainder think I will change back to B & Q.


Trevor

 

Found Lidl's 99p 20Ltr Grandiol compost excellent, fine and earthy
Along with Morrisons £5 for 80Ltr very good
A little more expensive but you can use it all and not compost half for next year

Jack McH

 

The bags are incorrectly labelled - Wickes have admitted that they are actually only 50% peat/50% wood (it used to be 85% peat, but they changed the mix and left the old description on the bags).

If you want to changeover to B&Q compost immediately take it back to Wickes for a refund.

 

I always use the Erin for exactly the reason that Dim stated - it is nice and light! It's easy to add bulk to a compost but a darn sight harder to take out. Despite being light, it takes water readily, even if totally dried out.
For erricacious I use Westland. I use very little and this brand seems to keep really well (unlike the JAB that I bought).

 

For containers I just buy plain peat to which I add one third volume of perlite plus 4 gms per litre Dolomitic lime and 2 gms per litre slow release fertilizer.

 

Isn't that a nightmare to re-wet if they dry out?

 

Increasing the overall particle size with one third perlite seems to be a big help in that regard. Peat on its own is near impossible to re-wet if it gets completely dry.

 

thats why i bought it, i have been out of gardening for a couple of years due to moving to a house with no garden but now i am in a house with a garden again i couldnt wait to get stuck in, jab was great the last time i used it, i tried westlands last year and i was not that impressed. i will go to the garden centre next chance i get and poke a few holes in bags to see which i fancy lol. thanks for all the replies.
regards
dave

 

Is "that" much perlite very expensive though ?

Jack McH