Bank Loan?

[Duronal]

you could plan ahead for next year and make our own, Make it a hot heap and you'll have plenty to fill a raised bed.

[denise]

WOOOW i had heard of this before but this link is great, so clearly explained, I have to give this a go as allottment time is tight now and with a waiting list lotty rules are too. I would hate to loss it.

Thank you Maximillian for posting it.

Do you use this method? and if so how do you find it?

[Veggi_Kid]

I have noticed that in a time of economic turndown, small, idependant garden centres are much more willing to keep your custom.

Hence they are willing much more to strike a deal on multi buys of compost bags.

Or............... some places do cubic metre bags of compost to last the season (dependant on use) just finding these though !!!!!!!

[Hans Mum]

if youre on a lottie site, arrange for bulk delivery, we have had 3 loads this year and sell it for £2.50 a barrow load (about 8 orange B&Q buckets) and made a very small profit from it. We let people buy it to take home if they want and its lovely stuff 50/50 compost/top soil

[Two_Sheds]

I have an allotment, but I start things off in modules. I still get through 500 litres of compost a year.

[SarzWix]

I have noticed that in a time of economic turndown, small, idependant garden centres are much more willing to keep your custom.

Hence they are willing much more to strike a deal on multi buys of compost bags.

My nearest small garden centre charges £5 for 70 litres of compost, and refuses to do any kind of deal on multiple buys. I can get 3x70l for £10, 5 miles down the road, so they have lost my custom for everything now.

[Incy]

I use growbags as compost each year and we recently discovered a local gardening association which cost £5 a year for family membership but then everything is much cheaper than buying at a garden centre or B&Q etc. Their growbags are much bigger than the standard ones sold commercially and cost less, with really loveluy compost in them.
We found out about the association through a friend who picked up a leaflet in his local library. Might be worth checking if there's one near you.

[sweetiepea]

I build up my supply during the winter months when I can get it a lot cheaper. It pays to shop around too. Most of it is bought from a small hardware/general purpose store - 3 x 75lt bags for £9.00 and every so often they throw in an extra bag for free!

[Duronal]

More on lasagna gardening can be found here

Lasagna Gardening

[amandaandherveg]

I got a boot full of MPC and Grow Bags last month for a tenner from Homebase but used the last of them yesterday. My OH was going to B&Q at lunchtime and I asked him if he could ask if they had any burst bags out back. He was offered as many bags of 33l Peat Free as he wanted for £1 each - he filled his boot.

Some of my gardening friends are too shy to ask.

[gojiberry]

My consumption is about the same as Twosheds and I also make my own. The bin I'm filling at the moment is 6' X 4' X 4' high and is about half full from Feb start. I have two other bins nearly ready for use, bu tI prefer to use bought MPC for starting all the modules off and for potting on. The home made stuff is used on the lottie.

Ian

[ChrisG]

I got a boot full of MPC and Grow Bags last month for a tenner from Homebase but used the last of them yesterday. My OH was going to B&Q at lunchtime and I asked him if he could ask if they had any burst bags out back. He was offered as many bags of 33l Peat Free as he wanted for £1 each - he filled his boot.

Some of my gardening friends are too shy to ask.

Guess where I'm going tomorrow!

[Florence Fennel]

Guess where I'm going tomorrow!

So am I Chris. My OH will make me take black bags to put them in though, so's not to dirty his car. I keep trying to explain to him that compost is CLEAN!

[Iamhanuman]

definitely found that Wickes is the cheapest at the mo with 4 x 75ltrs for £12 - that is 300ltrs for £12 or 4p per litre. That's even cheaper than Wilkos!

[Florence Fennel]

I think so far I've been averaging a 75 litre bag a week and I too get it from Wickes. My OH now calls it "the compost run".