Cheap Compost - Homebase

[nrmartin8798]

Afternoon All,

After much scouring around for a few weeks I have found that Homebase have just launched their own brand compost at an amazing deal - 2 120L bags for £12.50 which works out at 5.2p per litre which is by far and away the best value out there.

Yet to see what it's like but time will tell I guess! I used Wickes last year and to be honest it wasn't very good...didn't hold water, went dry and dusty in hot weather but for a cheap compost it was ok.Looking forward to seeing what this will turn out like!

[Florence Fennel]

After a bad experience with compost from Wickes a few years ago I changed to B & Q and have never had a problem since

[Bren In Pots]

Me to as well Flo I've use B&Q compost for the past 10 years.

[Nicos]

It’d be good to see a trail comparison between B&Q and Homebase compost !

[nrmartin8798]

On this post - don't actually buy Wickes compost, I used it last year, but they are full of weed seeds! More digging this year than it's worth...

[Mark Rand]

I've actually bought three 120l bags of Wickes multipurpose compost this year. It's 70% peat + 30% wood fibre.

[annie8]

do you mean Homebase peat free compost? I’ve bought that recently for the first time and been pretty pleased with it.

[Leslie Simpson]

Have you tried making compost with your own hands? It seems like this is possible and there are even special devices for creating compost. I have not tried them in practice, but I would very much like to know if this is real and how high-quality the compost will come out.

[Snadger]

Morrisons £10 for five 40 litre bags works out at 5p a litre.

[FB.]

Some household recycling centres or landfill sites offer free compost made from garden waste. Take some sacks, a shovel and help yourself. Best done after a run of dry days otherwise the wet compost is messy and heavy.

I used to make my own compost but the compost became an attraction for mice and rats to nest in. On a couple of occasions bumblebees nested in them - I didn't mind the presence of the bees but it was inconvenient not being able to use the composter without risking damaging their nest.

[Snoop Puss]

Have you tried making compost with your own hands? It seems like this is possible and there are even special devices for creating compost. I have not tried them in practice, but I would very much like to know if this is real and how high-quality the compost will come out.

I wouldn't mind betting that most Grapes make their own compost. It's perfectly possible and there's lots of info available on the Web about composting in shop-bought or homemade bins. It's about getting the mix of ingredients right and leaving it for long enough. But it's not easy to make as much compost as you want to use. Even Charles Dowding, the no-dig guru who's into compost big time, admits it's next to impossible for most of us to be self-sufficient in compost.

[nickdub]

Apart from the problem of trying to make enough compost yourself, I have found it is very difficult to get the compost hot enough to sterilise it.

Personally I use home-made compost for bigger plants in pots and as a mulch for fruit. I use store bought compost for sowing seeds and taking cuttings as I want that to be as sterile as possible. To cut down on the amount of compost I buy I do re-use last year's compost from pots and containers. First I put it to soak underwater in large tubs to get rid of any soil larvae. Then after a few months, I dry it out and add some multi-purpose fertiliser granules and use that for potting on things into larger containers when I'm starting bigger tender plants inside like courgettes.

[annie8]

Yes I make as much home compost as I can but it is never enough for my needs. I use it for borders and the front garden mainly. I use bought compost for seed sowing, potting on and for plants I grow in gh like tomatoes and cucumbers

[Mark Rand]

I find that my home made compost is quite good at growing tomatoes without any additions. Not even seeds are neccessary.

[ameno]

I find that my home made compost is quite good at growing tomatoes without any additions. Not even seeds are neccessary.

Same here. Melon plants, too. And apples.