Compost or manure?

[mysteryduck]

Hi all!~ as some of you know from previous threads, I’m hoping to start veg gardening soon. Mostly from container bags and troughs. I have no gardening experience whatsoever. I’m based near Glasgow (east Renfrewshire) and will soon have a small back yard that points west (according to the compass app on my phone - will recheck this later). Introductions over, I have a few more questions..

I want to use peat free compost. But have read in other threads that it’s not the best, drains too fast, yields low germination rates, and whatnot. Would manure help? I did a quick google and there are folks selling bags of horse manure for £1 nearby..

1- Can anyone recommend a good, cheap, peat-free compost suitable for container growing? (Low germination rates would make me sad)

2- Should I mix manure in with my compost to make it better?

3- Should I forget about peat-free and use manure only?

4- Can anyone near Glasgow recommend a source of good manure? (Apparently, quality/usability varies?)

Thank you all!

Edit:
Seems like I can mix the peat-free with coir and perlite? Is this a better option?
https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/how...tarting-seeds/

Also, would I be better starting the seeds in little trays and transferring them into outdoor containers when they're a little bigger? I had planned to put them directly into their containers

[bikermike]

you can't use manure fresh from the horses'.... nevermind, it needs to be rotted to avoid it burning plants. Also it does smell of, well, what you'd expect, when fresh, but still has a bit of an aroma after a bit. Is the stuff for sale rotted? There is a risk of herbicide contamination, so if you do buy it like that, try a few fast-growing seedlings in it and check they come up right before using it.

Germination shouldn't be affected by nutrition levels in compost - seedling compost has less nutrient than ordinary compost.

Generally, the best answer is to give it a go and see.
Are you growing in pots or in the ground?

Sources of compost - if you keep an eye on the garden centres/DIY shops/Aldi/Lidl they will often do offers. Does your local council sell it/give it away (from the brown bins)?

Don't forget to make your own for next year?

[chris_m]

Don't forget to make your own for next year?

Compost or manure?

[mysteryduck]

Is the stuff for sale rotted? There is a risk of herbicide contamination, so if you do buy it like that, try a few fast-growing seedlings in it and check they come up right before using it.

The ad says 6-months old, not sure how well rotted that would be..

Are you growing in pots or in the ground?

Container bags and plastic troughs

Sources of compost - if you keep an eye on the garden centres/DIY shops/Aldi/Lidl they will often do offers. Does your local council sell it/give it away (from the brown bins)?

Thanks for the heads up, I guess I'm just wondering if many people use peat-free and whether it is any good? I don't want to be demoralised by low germination rates. Will investigate council compost though (seems like I should visit the local recycling centres?)

[burnie]

If you grow from seed, then peat free seed growing compost is fine as the seedlings don't need feed to start with, if you then pot on your seedlings they need lots of nutrient rich compost. Once the plants are established and of a good size, then they can go into previously manured final growing position. But to be honest I only use manure in the soil, not in containers, I then add a top up fertiliser like Fish, Blood and Bone mid season.

[bikermike]

I use peat-free bought and home-made

Germination and early growth is much more about heat, light and water - every seed carries it's starter food in the seed.

[mysteryduck]

I use peat-free bought and home-made

Germination and early growth is much more about heat, light and water - every seed carries it's starter food in the seed.

Did you buy any peat-free this year bikermike? I'm reading reviews of B&Q Verve and they're saying it's full of twigs. One reviewer reported fungal growth. New Horizons seems to get better reviews but it's a fair bit more expensive..

[bikermike]

I have a bag of garden centre peat-free in my greenhouse, and two bags of (what I hope is peat-free - I didn't check) I picked up from Aldi today for £5.

yes, there will be sticks in it, there may well be mould growing on it. Neither of these are much of an issue as far as I am concerned (well, apart from the fact you obviously don't want big sticks in small pots as they take up too much room).

Unless you are trying to grow show vegetables or feed 5000 from your plot, I think it is entirely unlikely that compost will be an issue. If you really want to push the boat out, sieve it before putting it in your seedling pots. Beyond this, sticks in bigger pots are only an issue if they get in the way and/or stop you filling the pot properly.

Over the year, sunlight, watering, and feeding will have more impact.

[mysteryduck]

Over the year, sunlight, watering, and feeding will have more impact.

Ok, no more internet horror stories for me I'll grab a few bags tomorrow and give it a try!

[bikermike]

Ok, no more internet horror stories for me I'll grab a few bags tomorrow and give it a try!

Don't worry, reading here for long enough will give you plenty more things to worry about... .

If there's manure for £1/bag, I'd give a bag a go for when you pot things on (ie into their final pots) as a mix with compost. See if it smells too much for you and if it has any good or ill effects.

Good luck with your planting!

[Kirk]

I usually mix compost and manure, mainly as compost is simply a medium for the seeds to either germinate in or set out some initial roots and the compost acts as a supporting medium.

As a growing medium it is lacking in sufficent nutrients etc that are necessary, hence the manure. What is doe is that the "sterile" comost is watered with a solution containing basic fertiliser and that stays there for a few weeks then gets washed out and/or used up.

I would germinate in compost then repot in a mix of compost and manure, guess something like 5 compost to 1 manure well mixed would be reasonable.

Which compost is a problem, I have found hat the B&Q stuff to be reasonable (begins with a V), but that may not have been the peat free. I seem to think the peat free was pretty poor (lots of twigs). I equally seem to recall that some was bad and some was good and fine. As B&Q likely use multiple sources it could be chance on where yours came from.

Not too sure about others composts, Wilko's seems mediocre. Some garden centers have an open bag to see what it is you are buying.

[mysteryduck]

Thank you all for the feedback. In the end, I bought 3 bags of peat-free from Aldi... and following what everyone else seems to be doing in the `What I did today' thread I've been sieving it for carrots. I found a few bits of glass, small stones, a big bit of metal, and lots of twiggy bits. But that's ok because I'm sieving it

Having never seen regular compost (with peat in it) I'm not sure how it compares. I need a lot more compost so will likely buy a few big bag of B&Q's Verve peat-free and see how it compares.

I also bought some chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone from Aldi. Think I might also need liquid fertiliser for top ups though? Or can I make this from the solids?

I'm also thinking of getting a couple of small bokashi bins with a twin tumbler composter. I think I could fit them on our drive.. and I think the bokashi step would mean I could get away with a smaller composter. Maybe I can recycle my compost for next year?

[nickdub]

Generally you can re-use compost from containers as long as :- a) you plant different crops in it b) you mix in some added fertiliser. So some people re-use grow bags that have had tomatoes in over the summer to grow winter salads, by mixing in some grow-more or whatever first.

[bikermike]

Thank you all for the feedback. In the end, I bought 3 bags of peat-free from Aldi... and following what everyone else seems to be doing in the `What I did today' thread I've been sieving it for carrots. I found a few bits of glass, small stones, a big bit of metal, and lots of twiggy bits. But that's ok because I'm sieving it

You've been sieving it for carrots? I'm afraid you have to plant the carrots...
I've not found glass or rocks in mine before, but I guess it's not hugely surprising. Don't forget the sticks will still be compostable, I'd shove them in the bottom of big pots (or put them in for a turn through your composting.

I also bought some chicken manure pellets and blood fish and bone from Aldi. Think I might also need liquid fertiliser for top ups though? Or can I make this from the solids?

I have managed to grow things with no more than just filling them up with compost and giving them an occasional watering with Tomorite. You'll probably get better results with more fertilizer. Just one point of caution - animal-derived fertilizer leaves animal odours, and may attract foxes and the like (chicken manure pellets and blood fish bone I think will be the risk items here). Try it and see.

I'm also thinking of getting a couple of small bokashi bins with a twin tumbler composter. I think I could fit them on our drive.. and I think the bokashi step would mean I could get away with a smaller composter. Maybe I can recycle my compost for next year?

What the others have said about recycling it - make sure you don't use it for the same plants and be aware it will need more nutrient.
In terms of your own compost-generation, that sounds like quite a bit of capacity (esp as I don' think you have a lawn?). Maybe just start with one composter and see how you get on?

It's good to get that going sooner rather than later, as you can accumulate compost from kitchen waste (not cooked)

[ESBkevin]

Cheapest liquid fertilizers can be made from either nettles or comfry, both of which grow in hedgerows around the UK (less so comfry).
Collect the vegitation and chop/crush it into a tub/bucket of water and place a stone/brick on it to keep it submerged. Use a sealable bucket or keep it a long way from people because it will stink! After about 5-6 weeks drain off and bottle the resulting liquid. Chuck the rotted leaves on the compost heap or bury them in a bed. Use it diluted about 12 or 20 to 1 in a watering can and apply to soil by your intended plants. An application about once a week or so will suffice. Nettles promote green growth and Comfry flowers and fruit as a general guide.
You can make a similar Tea' with manure/compost/grass cuttings/weeds but you'd need a greater concentration with all but the manure. It's a great free resource, but remember it will smell. It stores well in sealed bottles so one batch will do a season usually.