Compost warning : ( Westland peat free

I have been a huge fan of Westland advanced compost and still am but a year or two ago 'Which' magazine did a comparison of a variety of composts and Westland advanced just pipped BNQ multi purpose to the crown . I'm sure its pure coincidence but it was about then that BNQ dropped westland advanced. This year I bought westland peat free by mistake from them and it is ABOMINABLE !!! It is marketted as a multipurpose but is very coarse . I started off a variety of seeds in it and they duly germinated but they sat with their seed leaves (cotyledons) for about three weeks - presumably struggling to make roots .
I grew two 4 year old amorphophallus , one in BNQ multipurpose and one in westland peat free - the difference is striking and says it all - one is large , lush and green ,the westland one is jaundiced and weedy in comparison ( sorry , still haven't got the hang of posting photos !) .
Sorry Westland , your 'advanced' still rocks !!!! : )

 

so .... what is thew best compost and what is the best manure?

I'm still trying to get my head around peat and peat free?

I have recently been buying farmyard manure and John Innes #3 and mixingthese 2 (30%/30%) with the top layer of topsoil

 

I bought some peat free b&q stuff and it was cr*p!!! I still have most of a huge bag left. Might be ok to use as a mulch but that's about it!

 

Wickes compst for me...all the way and at 4 x 75lt bags for £13 you can't go wrong :D :thumb:

Multi-Purpose Compost - Gardens - Wickes

 

I got some of that based on recommendation from folks on here and I do think it's very good. Plus the bags aren't as large as the 125 ltr and even I can shift them!!

 

I use B&Q compost the peat based one 3 for £10 good results alround ..
I did get a couple of bags of the Westland peat free in the spring and had disasterous results...Never been a fan of peat free though ..

Dave