Wickes GP compost 2012

from the website of growing media association:

What Is Growing Medium?

The term ‘growing medium’ is used to describe the material used in a container to grow a plant.
The term ‘substrate’ is also used and means the same thing. In the UK some people still use the term ‘compost’ in the same context, however a compost is technically the product of a composting operation (eg the compost heap at the bottom of the garden) and can therefore be a misleading word to use. A composted material may be a component of a growing medium but peat is not a product of composting and nor are many other ingredients we use. In Holland the term ‘potting soil’ is often used instead of ‘growing medium’

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so, perhaps this is not compost, and it's a growing medium?

as the label on the bag states that it is 85% peat?

 

Not according to their website product details (quoted above), nor from the info on their review section, so either they are:

1) Selling a product with a revised spec (50% peat/50% wood and not suitable for seed sowing, transplanting or potting up - the last two have also been removed from the uses in the product information) with incorrect, out of date information on the packaging, or

2) There are 2 different types of 70l bags out there, but from reading all the complaints on a few other forums it appears the contents of all 70l bags are indentical.

I believe Wickes may have a lot of explaining to do.

 

lets not just pick on Wickes as it's starting to sound like a slagging match against one company, namely Wickes

Bottom line .... every compost company produces different batches every year, and the consistency is never the same ... hence the 'Which' trails every year to test the compost ... it's just that this year, Wickes have a particular bad batch

I can post links here from another forum where thay have a sticky on top of the forum where compost was evaluated by the members going as far back as 2006.... and every year the quality varied ... as for the price increase, you cannot expect them to keep the price the same every year ....

I am sure that they would know by now that people are not happy

 

This thread is about Wickes compost ("Wickes GP compost 2012") and if they've changed the ingredients from 85% peat /15% ? to 50% peat/50% wood (also making it unsuitable for seeds/seedlings) and haven't changed the details on the packing then they deserve to get picked on.

If you look above you'll see I've posted pics of whatever other brands I've seen that look like rubbish.

 

Embarrased, I err use my Grans old clip on the table meat mincer to refine my woody compost.
Though I would only be using maybe 75Ltr a year, NOT several hundred bags
so maybe only about 20ltr of woody bits
I suppose I should just buy two bags and chuck the woody bits in my own compost heap

Jack McHammocklashing

 

it's good to have a 'compost policeman' in our midsts ... I am sure that Wickes are reading all the posts on the forums, and it would be the right thing for them to respond on the threads, as many have regarded their older compost as very good

and I will be reading your recomendations as regards good compost ...

I have switched to imported composts for the very same reasons (however, I do not use as much as some members here, so the cost does not impact as much)....

and I use worm humus aswell (vermicompost) that is imported ... (the best compost on the market IMHO)

I don't get emotional about compost ... if I don't like it, I don't buy it, but I will read what people say next year with the new batches, .... and if it rates highly amongst members, I may try it

 

Always worth remembering that if you buy something for a specific purpose (ie seed sowing) and it says on the pack that it's suitable for that purpose, then it turns out not to be, then under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 it isn't fit for purpose, so you are well within your rights to return it

 

I have emailed Wickes explaining the differences between previous years qualities and this years and also mentioned the change of bag size and asked for clarification on the matters of concern. I'll report back if I get a reply...

 

I have used Wickes, Asda and B&Q this year so far. The Asda stuff was about the same garbage as the Wickes, so it's going to be the B&Q brand for me. At least until the muck THAT up as well.

 

Unfortunately SOGA doesn't allow for any of the other factors mentioned.

Wickes may not agree that the goods are unfit for purpose - but if you can't use it for the stated/advertised purpose, then it is unfit for purpose as defined by the Act. However, if they chose to argue the toss, that would be more difficult for your average man in the street to argue.

In the past I've been surprised at how little staff in shops (B&Q particularly) know about the relevant legislation. You think they'd teach them that stuff before they put them on the customer service desk.

 

But Wickes have already admitted their compost is not suitable for all the uses stated on the packaging - there's a screenshot from their website posted above stating that it's not suitable for 'seed planting'.

At a Wickes store this morning I saw a laminated A4 notice adjacent to the stack of compost (not affixed to the sign) in the entrance foyer stating it was no longer fit for 'seeding' (but made no mention of the composition being different from that stated on the packing). But there was no such notice by the stack in the outdoor area!

If Wickes don't either put proper signage at each location or withdraw the lot for re-packing, I wonder if there's a case for Trading Standards to get involved. They've had since the 18th of February (when the first comment about the unsuitability of this compost appeared on their website) to get this sorted.