Thoughts on Verve mpc

Having got round the issues of fungal gnats in B & Q's Verve because they stopped screening. I now have something else buzzing around my head.....and it's not bees!

Growing from seed last year and this year I've noticed that seedlings/plants aren't developing as well as they used to. I'm now beginning to wonder whether the nutrients in Verve have been reduced and I'm seriously considering changing to something more reliable next year. Has anyone else had problems please?

 

Hi Sheal

I have had no problems with Verve , may be you have a duff bag.

How long have seedlings been in the compost as 5/6 weeks is the cut off point before starting to supplementary feed .

Spruce

 

I actually started off my seeds in another make of compost but since potting them on into Verve they slowed right down. It could be a duff bag as you say. I know the nutrients in it only last five to six weeks but the seedlings have been slow from the start. After a few weeks I gave them a weak feed but it hadn't improved things much. Most of the plants are planted out now and have really got going.

I've planted my toms in Verve this last week and I'll see how they progress up to feeding time.

 

I have bought 5 X 125ltr bags of verve mpc this year and haven't had a problem.
I don't use seed compost for my cucumbers, preferring not to disturb them until going into their final position, I have sown a dozen in Verve mpc, all but one came through and they are all flourishing as is everything that I have potted on. It gets the thumbs up from me.

 

The 125ltrs bales ive bought so far have been good(about 8 bales),everthing has germinated(except pumpkins) and all is growing well after potting on.
I think a glitch in the weather could cause a stall,i read a few reports on people worrying,i just think the plants know whats coming before we do sometimes

 

It's the first time this year that I've used anything but Verve to start my seeds off, that's because of slow germination and growth last year with Verve. It's not down to the weather or lack of heat it's been great here for weeks, it's only this last week the weather has turned. I've used Verve for years and not had any problems until last year with or without good weather, which is why I suspect there's something lacking. Perhaps as Spruce said it is just a duff bag.

 

Sheal

Send a email to customer care and get a free bag

 

Hiya Sheal
I've used Verve/B&Q for a number of years, and have pretty much never had a problem with it, apart from when I tried the 'reduced peat' variant (that was rubbish). You say the weather has been "great", is it possible that temperatures have been too high at times? Just guessing...

 

Hi Freddy......High temperatures here? There is no such thing! A really good summer will give us probably 23/25C maximum and those summers are a rarity. We usually average 21C. Spring temperatures will not be high and no, it's not cold either.

 

Hiya Sheal
Sorry. When you said the weather has been great, I thought you meant it had been...great

 

The weather has been great.....for the island Freddy! We've had next to no rain for the last six weeks and a fair bit of sunshine, I've even had to use the hosepipe which is a rare occurrence.

 

Amazing when you think, we've just had our wettest winter in years...

 

Could be sheal,i had a few that where solid in parts with white fungus early last yr and started buying another compost from a localish garden centre,there is a thread somewhere on last yrs compost,i think wet weather was mentioned that could of contributed to suppliers having composting problems x

 

I have used a few 125ltr bales this year for both potting up and as a soil improver. One particular bale seems to have some seeds in it (but only in the last 3rd ), I have only discovered this in the last week or so, as an area where it was used to enrich the soil now has hundreds of seedlings popping up, also a potted plant that was potted up with it has the same seedlings popping up!

I might prick a few out and see what they grow into

Other than this, no problems with fungus gnats ( unlike last year ), and overall I am pleased with the results I am getting from it. Have not started any seeds with it, but I shall be starting some Primroses and Pansies soon, so will try it and see, I'll do some with a seed and cutting compost too, and compare the results. I'll post those results in this thread.

 

I don't think my MPC (J Arthur Bowers) is preforming as well as previous years either. I've decided to try commercial compost. it looked expensive when I checked it, but I reckon that is just the "one bag price". Trouble is they do half a dozen different types, and I don't know which would be best for me so I was thinking of buying one bag of each and doing a comparison ... but that looked expensive so I prevaricated instead!!

http://www.william-sinclair.co.uk/c...ulture/growingmedia/pottingandbeddingcomposts

Take one: Sinclair All Purpose Compost. A 75L bag is £11.10 ... but if I buy 45 the price falls to £5.10 each. That's probably not much more than I pay at the garden centre, and about the number of bags I use in a year. pH 6.0 too, so could use for ericaceous without having to buy something else ...

Anyways, I definitely need to try one bag