Best supplier of compost 2024

Discussion in 'Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling' started by JWK, Jan 1, 2024.

  1. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2005
    Messages:
    51,027
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Mid Kent
    Ratings:
    +93,703
    Most places around here have just a roof over the pallets and through the winter the rain often gets driven under the shelter.
    If it looks a bit soggy I tend to delve lower into the stack.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
    • Logan

      Logan Total Gardener

      Joined:
      May 27, 2017
      Messages:
      15,625
      Gender:
      Female
      Occupation:
      housewife
      Location:
      redditch Worcester
      Ratings:
      +48,533
      The one we go to have it inside.
       
    • Baalmaiden

      Baalmaiden Gardener

      Joined:
      Aug 19, 2023
      Messages:
      196
      Gender:
      Female
      Ratings:
      +332
      Such an interesting thread!

      Charles Dowding the no dig man has some interesting comments about compost - about 10 minutes into this video:

       
      • Informative Informative x 1
      • Baalmaiden

        Baalmaiden Gardener

        Joined:
        Aug 19, 2023
        Messages:
        196
        Gender:
        Female
        Ratings:
        +332
        Anyone seen any supermarket deals on compost yet? My husband is off next week and I can drag him along to do the heavy lifting.
        Incidentally The Range has taken on some of Wilko's products so I wonder if they will do their compost.
        I always liked the proper John Innes seed compost but you haven't been able to get the real thing for years. There is a recipe but you have to stack upside down turves for months to make loam and I haven't got the room.
        It does require some peat too but you could substitute coir or well rotted wood chips.
        I never liked peat that much as it seems dead. Have you noticed that if you plant something in peat compost in the garden the peat does not incorporate into the soil? I think that may be because worms don't like it.
         
      • JWK

        JWK Gardener Staff Member

        Joined:
        Jun 3, 2008
        Messages:
        32,365
        Gender:
        Male
        Location:
        Surrey
        Ratings:
        +49,749
        The only bag I've bought so far this year is Wickes own brand peat free multi purpose. It was all they had and I needed to prick out onion seedlings. It is extremely coarse and I had to pick out lots of twigs and pieces of wood. The seedlings seem to be doing OK in it but I won't buy it again unless I have no choice.
         
        • Informative Informative x 3
        • Agree Agree x 1
        • Loofah

          Loofah Admin Staff Member

          Joined:
          Feb 20, 2008
          Messages:
          13,898
          Gender:
          Male
          Location:
          Guildford
          Ratings:
          +24,309
          Haven't seen any deals but then again I don't look too hard. I have a place that makes their own soil improver plus supplies various bagged MPC so I usually just have them deliver what I need
          For seed sowing, so far I've just used peat mixed with perlite
           
          • Informative Informative x 2
          • burnie

            burnie Total Gardener

            Joined:
            Jun 2, 2016
            Messages:
            1,196
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired engineer
            Location:
            Angus, NE Scotland
            Ratings:
            +5,539
            Seemingly someone local went into a garden centre and was told the law banning peat in compost has been lifted for domestic growers, not heard anything anywhere else?
             
          • LunarSea

            LunarSea Front Garden Curator

            Joined:
            Jan 29, 2024
            Messages:
            203
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired
            Location:
            Peak District foothills
            Ratings:
            +1,276
            The only thing I've seen about peat being banned in compost was for England only. I don't think Scotland were included immediately. But I don't think they've managed to make it legally binding down here either. Some hiccup or other.
             
            • Like Like x 1
            • Agree Agree x 1
            • pete

              pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

              Joined:
              Jan 9, 2005
              Messages:
              51,027
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Retired
              Location:
              Mid Kent
              Ratings:
              +93,703
              Its in this thread somewhere, but not sure how far back.
              Have a look at page one.
               
              • Like Like x 1
                Last edited: Feb 21, 2024
              • Sheal

                Sheal Total Gardener

                Joined:
                Feb 2, 2011
                Messages:
                36,097
                Gender:
                Female
                Location:
                Dingwall, Ross-shire
                Ratings:
                +54,253
                Peat hasn't been banned in Scotland yet and as far as I know won't be for at least the next few years - but who knows?

                I don't know what the current availability of peat based composts is in England but a few weeks ago I bought four bags in Wickes at a reasonable price. I think it was Westlands but can't check until the morning.
                 
              • shiney

                shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                Joined:
                Jul 3, 2006
                Messages:
                63,469
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Retired - Last Century!!!
                Location:
                Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                Ratings:
                +123,743
                They haven't been able to put the restriction on peat in place because it wasn't in the King's Speech. Whether that was deliberate or not I don't know.

                Even if it was in place there is no restriction in the draft bill to stop English retailers buying it from Scotland but I don't think the retailers will do so. Some small retailers near the border might do it.
                 
                • Like Like x 1
                • infradig

                  infradig Total Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Apr 28, 2022
                  Messages:
                  1,053
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Freelance self preservationist
                  Location:
                  Solent
                  Ratings:
                  +1,235
                  Wickes seem to have delisted o/b 100 litre packs for this season, which I believe was from Westland, but do have 50 ltr. Westland MP @£8.(!)
                  Best option locally seems to be Westland Gro-sure peat reduced 50ltr @£15 per 3 bags, thats from B&M. Also available is Levingtons Essential peatfree 50ltr @ £9 per 2 at The Range,
                  Westland peatfree 40ltr £12 per 3 at Morrisons
                   
                  • Informative Informative x 4
                  • CarolineL

                    CarolineL Total Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Jun 12, 2016
                    Messages:
                    1,982
                    Gender:
                    Female
                    Occupation:
                    Retired Software engineer
                    Location:
                    Rural Carmarthenshire
                    Ratings:
                    +5,101
                    I can get Clover peat based compost here in west Wales from a place that supplies animal feed. £15.50 for 3 bags at 60l each
                     
                    • Like Like x 3
                    • Informative Informative x 2
                    • Funny Funny x 1
                    • Loofah

                      Loofah Admin Staff Member

                      Joined:
                      Feb 20, 2008
                      Messages:
                      13,898
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Location:
                      Guildford
                      Ratings:
                      +24,309
                      Evergreen MPC 60l, 3 bags for £17 delivered. That's from our local compost centre
                       
                      • Informative Informative x 2
                      • Like Like x 1
                      • hailbopp

                        hailbopp Gardener

                        Joined:
                        May 25, 2021
                        Messages:
                        429
                        Location:
                        Scotland
                        Ratings:
                        +899
                        A friend of mine went to one of Charles Dowdings lecture weekends, very impressed and enjoyed it immensely. He recommended Moorlands Gold MPC and seed compost. She grows enormous amounts of veg being a vegetarian so decided to get a pallet of the compost after having asked her gardening friends, me being one if we would share some of the pallet. Worked out that a 40 ltr bag was just under £9 a bag, the transport being the killer! However it is very nice compost. I have used both the seed compost and MPC and pleased with it. A nice change not having to pick out muckle great bits of wood and god knows all what from other composts I have bought. My go to used to be Jack’s Magic but that too has gone down hill from my experience.
                        I don’t know how readily available it is but would recommend if you see it for sale.
                         
                        • Informative Informative x 3
                        • Like Like x 2
                        Loading...

                        Share This Page

                        1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                          By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                          Dismiss Notice