MP compost recommendations

[annie8]

Am likely to go through a fair bit of compost again this year for the plants I start or grow in the greenhouse. Have a Homebase nearby so have been buying what they have - although the selection is pretty limited. Usually that has been a kind called J Arthur Bowers because you can get 120l for 7 quid. It’s ok but wondered if there was a better option anyone would recommend. Don’t mind online if it’s a decent price. Would like to buy peat free if it is kinder to the environment although it seems to be much more expensive. Any recommendations? As I say it is mainly for veg but I am starting to grow a few flowers too.

[Small pumpkin]

I'm using the same stuff at them moment. But mixing it with jack magic compost ( also available at homeb@se). I find j Arthur a bit lumpy by its self, especially for seed sowing. But it's fine for potting on.
I mix it 50/50.
Also happy to mix j Arthur with home made compost for potting on.
I've got 10 bags ( 5 of each ). That have to last me the year. Especially as homebase is now my nearest supplier. The local island supplier has stop stocking compost.

[bario1]

I use Jack's Magic, but it isn't the cheapest.

[Kirk]

I use the B&Q stuff, Verve 125 ltr. Seems to be reasonable, or half is and half is not so good. I suspect they have 2 sources so quality differs a little. Overall happy with it.

Use it to change the soil structure if in a bed/ground as whatever is in it washes out. For nutrients I add manure in whatever proportions take my fancy on the day.

Containers are say 2 parts compost 1 part manure.

Have used Bowers but think the B&Q is better - only think as cannot recall 100%. But where I get the manure sell Bowers and I tend to buy the manure there and the compost at B&Q so i assume there is a reason.

[bikermike]

Composting MPs? I can think of a few that would do better as compost...

I just buy whatever peat-free is to hand. Wyvale had a promotion on and it worked out at 7p/litre.

I used to buy homebase peat-free, but they've stopped doing big bags of it (worked out at 4p/litre i think)

Are you making your own? That's even cheaper.
I have permission of my neighbours on each side. I made 2 or three bins-worth last year (say 3 m3) and all it cost me was the time lugging it to the plot and turning the heap.

I would never use peat for environmental reasons (except possibly the moorland gold stuff)

[mcdood]

I find the B&Q Verve 125Litre bags are good value and use them for plants/tubers etc but I find it can be too lumpy for seed sowing and CBA to sieve. Mozzas normally do 3x70 litre bags for a tenner or less around this time of year too although not seen it yet. This has been decent enough for seeds last year or two.

[annie8]

I do make my own too. Have three compost bins but that gets used on the raised beds and just can’t produce enough for seeds too.

[Bex2012]

Asda has 3 bags for a tenner at the moment, thats ok stuff (would rather use that than the Bowers stuff - bought it once and swore never again). My absolute favourite is Jacks Magic though, I use that for everything.

[annie8]

Jacks magic worth looking at. Hadn’t heard of Wyvale. Don’t think we have any of those and their online shop looks like it is only for bigggwr items.

[Urban]

I use Jacks magic for seed sowing and for any houseplants, and B&Q 125l for filling up big pots etc

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Having seen recommendations for Jack's Magic I gave it a go last year. When I opened the first bag it was like how compost used to be. There's no bits of strange stuff or big lumps of unknown origin, and strangely enough it doesn't stain your hand brown like many others can do. I would prefer to spend a couple of quid more on something that has given me good results rather than buy cheap stuff where you have to throw out part of it to get what you want. By this I mean you are already throwing some of the cost away so it's wasting your money and time.

[nickdub]

Whether the dearer compost is worth the money probably depends to an extent on what you are growing in it. Obviously rubbish isn't worth buying however cheap but I use the B&Q stuff mostly, but if I want to sow fine seeds I sieve it first. I hardly ever chuck anything away though, so the bigger lumps sticks etc go in the bottom of a pot in which I will be planting something larger like a shrub, strawberry or similar.

I also re-use compost from previous years, but I add some Miracle grow or similar to the mix before planting anything in it - and I don't use it for the same type of plant eg cucumbers get old Tomato compost.

[toomanytommytoes]

Having seen recommendations for Jack's Magic I gave it a go last year. When I opened the first bag it was like how compost used to be. There's no bits of strange stuff or big lumps of unknown origin, and strangely enough it doesn't stain your hand brown like many others can do.

Probably because it's 90% peat with a bit of fertiliser and wetting agent, so there's very little actual compost in it. For me, lumps and bits don't matter when potting on and they might even help drainage by preventing compaction. It's only when sowing seeds that I want something quite fine.

[annie8]

I’ve tended to use sowing compost rather than mpc for seeds like tomatoes, chillis etc. Maybe with a bit of vermiculite. MPC is usually for potting on or bigger seeds like courgettes.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I use the B&Q stuff, Verve 125 ltr. Seems to be reasonable, or half is and half is not so good. I suspect they have 2 sources so quality differs a little. Overall happy with it.

For me the half that isn't so good is the stuff that needs to be riddled out. B&Q's compost used to be so good too but every year it seems to go further downhill with more rubbish included.