BEST SUPPLIER OF COMPOST - 2017

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by ARMANDII, Jan 9, 2017.

  1. Jack McHammocklashing

    Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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    100% self renewable energy, do the sums, Scotland only produces 31% of its energy the rest is bought in from the ROUK from French Nuclear power
    Check what papers you are reading, Or wee Nicky/Gnasher will have you on her team soon
     
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    • Scrungee

      Scrungee Well known for it

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      I've still got a big stockpile of reduced stuff that might see me through 2017. Must count how many litres are left, at least 2,000L.
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        I hope you have it covered and not liable to get damp. Recent research has shown that it deteriorates in damp conditions even if it's in its sealed bags.
         
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        • Scrungee

          Scrungee Well known for it

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          Stacked in polytunnels or under tarps. 'Sealed' bags have holes that let all sorts of stuff inside.
           
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          • Sheal

            Sheal Total Gardener

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            The paper I read Jack is about renewable energy only so I have no idea if Scotland is buying in 'energy' from elsewhere.
             
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            • roders

              roders Total Gardener

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              Once again I recommend Jacks Magic compost as by far the best all rounder.
              It's dark , fine enough for seed sowing ,smells quality,looks quality.
              It is 90% peat so it won't suit everybody.
              The only downside is the price...........previous years local GC's have had it on special......but not this year.
              I do use Arthur Bowers as well but it's not in the same class as Jacks.

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              • Fat Controller

                Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

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                I've tried Jack's Magic over the past couple of years, and have only had mediocre results to be honest - it feels really nice consistency, and looks the part, but for some reason stuff doesn't seem to thrive just as much; it also doesn't seem to retain water as well as some of the other composts I have used. And as you say, it has gotten really expensive this year (£6-£7 a bag)

                I bought a 120 litre bale of Bowers MPC from Homebase the other night for £6.65, just to see what it was like - I haven't sown anything in it yet, but it has a nice texture and a nice dark colour fairly similar to the Jacks Magic, so I will see how it goes.

                I will be back for another ten bales in the next week or so, as that price is pretty keen.
                 
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                • Sheal

                  Sheal Total Gardener

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                  I agree FC. I tried Jack's magic and found particularly seedlings and young plants struggled to get away in it. It is to late this year for me to trial anything else, I'm still yet to find myself a garden. :doh::)
                   
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                  • Poly Hive

                    Poly Hive Gardener

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                    We tried council produced compost two years ago and although the heaps were steaming nicely through the winter the actual product was useless. Could not hold water nor grow plants, nor for that matter very cheap.
                     
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                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      @Poly Hive councils don't usually sell it as compost but term it 'soil improver'. :noidea: That way they don't promise anything. :doh:
                       
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                      • Steve R

                        Steve R Soil Furtler

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                        I do make my own compost, both at the allotment and home and include that into my own compost mixes for different tasks..see here Compost mixes

                        But I do also buy a seed and cutting compost from Aldi and have done so for the last, seems like 7 or 8 years. It does need riddling a little for use with seeds but it has always been brilliant. Anything riddled out goes in the bottom of pots when potting plants on. I have no idea of amounts but it does contain "Fine pH balanced blend of sphagnum moss peat, sedge peat and green compost." so it is not 100% peat and is now only a small percentage of the compost that I use.

                        I have tried a few "peat free" composts and found them to be quite impossible to work with so I have settled for now on the middle ground of reducing peat use instead.

                        The aldi seed and cutting compost is £1.49 for 20L and I have tried the other composts from aldi, but wont again.

                        Next step for me to take is to assess over a couple of years what I actually need compost for in all reality because so many seeds can be sown direct into soil anyway, so a mix of garden soil and perhaps leaf mould to lighten could be used for seed sowing, instead of a peat rich compost. But, we'll see as that is in the future.

                        Steve...:)
                         
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                        • roders

                          roders Total Gardener

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                          I know most of us don't rate Peat Free compost.
                          Just seen this from Which ,they seem to rate it highly.
                          Has anyone used it?
                          Has anyone seen it?
                          I certainly haven't.

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                          • ARMANDII

                            ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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                            I haven't seen it on the market, roders:dunno::snorky: I notice that the marketing blurb seems to center on it's use for pots and containers. The going price seems to be around £6.99p for 50 litres which is more than 3 times the price of the peat added compost I use now.:dunno::snorky:
                             
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                            • Marley Farley

                              Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                              I have reverted to the John Inness seed compost and use John Innes
                              for all my potting needs whether 1,2 or 3 for years now. With added vermiculite when needed. I like the soil based compost as it mixes so well with my own home made compost.. That is my preference though..
                               
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                              • Scrungee

                                Scrungee Well known for it

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                                I bought a load of reduced JI compost at a garden centre closing down sale and I'm more and more finding it useful to mix with MPC as some brands get increasingly 'fluffy' (maybe open textured is the correct term) every year, but blending them with JI gets them to the consistency I like.
                                 
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