Best Supplier Of Compost 2023

Used Clover for years and the quality has always been great, this year sees new packaging and a small drop in quality, also bag size has dropped from 60L to 50L

Apparently 100% Screened Irish Sphagnum Moss Peat, though I might not agree entirely with that looking at some of the bits in the new bags.

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Old

 

Lately the government and media have went down the nature route but this was not the case at first as they see peat lands as the most important carbon storage.

The wildlife trust goes in to great detail about how much peat is extracted and how much carbon has been released, yet they don't go in to the same detail about the wild life etc etc that the peat lands support when they endorse a peat ban. Even the Welsh governments report on phasing out peat is basically down to reducing emissions, the report states. "A ban will end greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction and use of peat domestically and be key in meeting the Welsh Government’s Net Zero targets" If the Welsh government thinks for one minute the ban of peat based compost will be key to meeting net zero, then they are more deluded than our government.

The wildlife trust state, that of all the peat extracted in the UK and imported in 2020 for the horticulture sector could release 880,000 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of driving to the moon and back 4,600 times. Why not compare it to Drax, that produces 13 million tonnes of CO2 annually, that does fit with their agenda though. Drax has produced and put more CO2 back into the atmosphere in 3 years than the the horticultural sector has in 32 years by extracting and using peat.

 

As I say, I thought it was more about preserving habitat than all this carbon nonsense.

I would assume that wildlife supporters would try using the carbon angle as its a much more trendy way of putting it.

Nobody seems to care about wild places, but mention carbon and the politicians see it as vote getter.

 

Clover launched the new "Pats blend" at the back end of last year, I think it's only available in 50L bags. They still do 100% peat based Multi-Purpose in a range of different size bags for the retail sector, 10,20,40,60, 75 and 100L according to trade stockists. If a retailer is stocking only a certain size, then that is more down to the retailer, not the manufacturer.

I think all clover peat based composts are manufactured in Northern Ireland. So when the ban in England comes in to force on selling peat based compost to the general public, Clover will still be allowed to supply the retail sector. Otherwise, it would be strange to launch a new product if you only have 2 years before it would be discontinued.

 

@gks that's good to know that the older variety of MPC will still be available, it's a little bit better than the Pat's blend.

I wonder why they would produce two varieties of MPC?

 

No idea, maybe a number of retailers enquired about a 50L as that size is not available in the traditional multi compost.
Clover has a website with a list of all those that stock their composts, just click your location and it will give you a list of stockist, best to ring first to see what they have available first though, you don't want to end up having a wasted journey.

 

Im surprised anyone sells bags larger than 50 ltr due to the weight. Too heavy for most customers to put in their cars and too heavy for employees to lug them about.
Health and safety, lifting training, lawsuites etc etc.
( Im fine with 50 + personally )

 

I used Clover for years when I worked in Warrington, picking it up at a local nursery. Just been on the Clover stockist website and Manchester does not exist! So no nearby supplier found so far.

 

Another u-turn by the government! It's about time they started doing their homework before setting dates for banning this and banning that.

 

I thought we knew this?

 

I will wait for clarity from my local mp as this is getting more confusing. Even though a bill had not been passed on the banning of peat, we were lead to believe that compost containing peat and plants grown with peat would be banned in England if they were produced and grown in England. So, even I was fully expecting not to be allowed to grow plants in peat from 2025, only growers who are issued with an exemption would been allowed to carry on using peat based composts.

If I have got his correct. Compost containing peat will still be banned from sale in England by the end of 2024, unless it was manufactured in N'Ireland, Scotland or Wales due to the "Internal Market Act" I and other professional growers in England will now still be able to grow plants in peat for the retail sector until the end of 2026. The only sector that would still be allowed to use peat after this date would be mushroom growers and commercial growers who only grow plug plants, they would also be banned from the end of 2029. Why is it, when the government is faced with a problem, they end up creating a bigger one, so confusing this now.

 

Just had a drive out to a large local Nursery, 50 litre bags of Jack Magic £4.99. All other GC's and nurseries in my area are chargeing £9 a bag. Someone is making a lot of money! Other MPC's were similar priced.
If you live in the area, it's called Pole Green at Charnock Richard. Between Wigan and Preston

 

Very cheap…but awful…..Peat free.

 

That is cheap @roders , I think I've tried that, if it wasn't raining I'd go out and have a look

I didn't think it was that bad.