Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

Best value compost?

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Lokelani (U8896212) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  I have a new greenhouse & am growing a lot more veg than usual.
  
  Seeing the glowing reviews on B&Q multipurpose compost I am mostly using that, along with some John Innes planters & tubs bags too.
  
  Neither are that cheap at about £4 a bag & only filling a few pots.
  
  I'd like to make more sowings of lettuces & carrots as suggested every few weeks, but that means yet more pots of compost!
  
  What is the best value half decent compost that people have found?

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by John L (U10162566) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  Shop around and look at the per litre price
  
  I have stocked up on Focus DIY Grow cubes - 20 litre packs at five for a fiver - was a spec offer, so check first, I think the normal price is £1.30 per bag.
  
  Also at Focus - Shamrock grow bags - 27 litres for £1.59
  
  Been off all week, not normally compost obsessed but been doing the rounds of garden related retailers, as you do !

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by pottiepam (U11118368) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  I put some waste polystyrine in the bottom of big pots to save on compost.

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by londonplantmad (U2392946) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  I still think Wickes is the best multipurpose as the bags are 75ltr 4 for £12 now. I also have recently used Lidl smaller bags much easier to lift peat free multi purpose 40 ltr for just over £2 and that is also very good. Both of these are good moist compost and retain water which i find a lot of the dearer ones do not. I was quite fed up with lots of the well known makes which are just like a lot of dust and dry out too quickly. You need two people to lift the 75 ltr bags which can be a problem.

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by zoomer44 (U14019069) on Friday, 21st May 2010

  Lokelani. I hadn't yet considered the cost of providing grow bags for stuff to grow in GH.
  
  It's a long story which I won't bore you with but my GH isn't up yet hopefully it will be over next two weekends.
  
  I'm going to have a small bed 6 by 2 but plan to grow things around the sides in grow bags/pots too.
  
  Not meaning to needle in on your thread Lokelani but Q. for the more experienced GH grower what happens next year (yr2) can the soil be recycled from grow bags or do you need to do it all again.

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Lokelani (U8896212) on Saturday, 22nd May 2010

  I'd forgotten Wickes, I used to use theirs a lot as they did work out cheapest & it always seemed fine quality wise, some big twigs but then they all have the odd bits.
  
  I've regretted the JI ones I bought earlier this year, they are way too heavy for me to lift full, particularly as they were outside at the GC & sodden. Then the soil just dried like dust when planted in.
  
  

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Lokelani (U8896212) on Saturday, 22nd May 2010

  Zoomer44, I guess a bed in a greenhouse is far more cost effective long term as I presume you can use that for years if you crop rotate & enrich the soil.
  
  The one we made is a little lean to against the house of just big, deep shelves really, so didn't really lend itself to a bed sadly.
  
  Everything I've read on here over the last couple of years, suggests you need to change pot/growbag compost each year as it will have no nutrients left & in my own experience they're often mostly roots anyway. I have read a few people that say they don't bother though & have achieved success for one more year. I think build up of pests in the soil can be another issue unfortunately.

  Link to this forum: Best value compost?

  Report message7

Back to top