Using cheaper brand multi purpose compost

[hamsterhead]

I'm getting very good results with the Wickes MPC.

I've had nothing but water logged problems with Wickes MPC. Have now transferred to ASDA's MPC which appears to be very good at at £6.00 for two bags its very good value. Of course, if you're like me you can always ask for more discount for four bags

[21again]

I'm getting very good results with the Wickes MPC.

So am I.

The consistency of it has changed from the ones that they sold last year though, this isn't as dark.

[Capsid]

The peat free stuff, Capsid? - was full of bark/wood shavings the last lot I bought. Won't be using it again

I had the same issue with Westlands stuff too, so am boycotting that too !

No, it's not the peat free stuff. They say it's from bogs that have no scientific impact (whatever that means).

[butter fingers]

i used to use grow bags for compost , but was told that they were not suitable for all veg so i know use compost.
i use whatever is available and representing the best value. as for quility i have used compost which was improved to retain water what turned out to have the opposite effect, very fibreous and did not retain water.i do find the cheaper brands that claim to be potting compost appear to be just as course as the normal stuff so i dont bother, i just use the same for everything.

[Elaineb]

I bought some gro bags from homebase..."Grow your own" very good quality but £2 a bag, that soon mounts up. Tried Wilko's cheapo compost but was full of twigs and fibrous. Wilko's had j Arthur Bowers with John Innes compost on offer two bags for £8 the big bags really pleased nice and fine no bits!!

for your interest I found this....Compost Survey 2010 - UK420

Elaine x

[solway cropper]

Don't most of you make your own compost?

At the very least you can mix it with shop-bought stuff and improve the fertility.

[BigShot]

I got B&Q's organic one a couple of times and found it "OK" though it had some rather large lumps of woodchip in it.

A couple of weeks ago I got New Horizon's multipurpose (peat free) and the quality stunned me. If you want a rich, soft feeling and generally quite fine compost it's fantastic. It's not cheap, but I was happy enough to buy another bag at the weekend. I'd be amazed if my half-inch riddle stopped more than a couple of twigs getting through.

I'm not a plant, so I don't know if they agree with my idea of good compost but everything I've put into it so far (whether sieved and mixed with coir for seeds or used as-is for potting up) has seemed as happy as can be.

Which? seem keen on it too.


If anyone is concerned with the peat issue, I believe there are eco-minded peat products out there. I'm not certain, but I have a feeling Vital Earth use "reclaimed" peat in theirs. Whoever it is, I spoke to them once and I think they said something about reclaiming the peat from water that runs off peat bogs or some such.
I have no idea how that works, but it might be worth looking into if you'd like to use peat without destroying bogs.


Capsid - that sounds like they mean it's not from an SSSI which, to me, sounds like a real weasel way of saying "we mine peat bogs" while trying to sound eco-friendly.

[hamsterqueen]

I bought the Lidl peat free, it does have twigs and stuff in it, but the veg in my containers seem quite happy and healthy. We have clay soil in most of the garden so I put a layer of that in the bottom, which seems to retain the moisture, then the cheapy compost mixed in with some of my home grown.

I am growing spuds , chard and leaf beet in the buckets or bag type containers as I am running out of space , it costs a fortune in compost!

[hamsterqueen]

I bought some gro bags from homebase..."Grow your own" very good quality but £2 a bag, that soon mounts up. Tried Wilko's cheapo compost but was full of twigs and fibrous. Wilko's had j Arthur Bowers with John Innes compost on offer two bags for £8 the big bags really pleased nice and fine no bits!!

for your interest I found this....Compost Survey 2010 - UK420

Elaine x

not sure they were growing veg in it though

[DigginDebs]

I've been using Focus grow bags (the cube type) £1something a bag, tis a little lumpy but I just sieve what I want to use for sowing and the big clumpy bits go into my compost bin all that I have potted up in it looks good and is doing well imo

[womble]

A couple of weeks ago I got New Horizon's multipurpose (peat free) and the quality stunned me. If you want a rich, soft feeling and generally quite fine compost it's fantastic. It's not cheap, but I was happy enough to buy another bag at the weekend. I'd be amazed if my half-inch riddle stopped more than a couple of twigs getting through.

I've used this for a couple of years now and I really like it.
I think it cost me 3 bags for a tenner.

[cazp]

Thanks for all the feedback on this thread - I only have one bag of ASDA compost left which I will use for the rest of my planting this year - as has been said it can (and has) cost a fortune in compost growing container veg, but hopefully next year when I get my raised beds(!!!!) for square foot approach it will not be the case.

[Alison]

I've used this for a couple of years now and I really like it.
I think it cost me 3 bags for a tenner.

It's the best I can find and really good quality with no waste.

[maypril]

I find the Asda stuff to be pretty poor, but at £6 for 14 litres, it's good value. The Smart Price variety at £1 for 15 litres worse quality. I generally go for the Westland stuff. You can usually pick up a 200 litre bag for £10 and I find the quality to be better than the Asda stuff.

[starloc]

Ive been using the b+q growbags ,there not the wooden chip type like the ones i got from netto at 99p last year, the b+q seems good stuff and unlike the compost i bought from both asda and b+q it doesnt seem to have any plastic bag pieces or twigs in it .Its £1.45 for 30L , easy to move round , the last lot i got had an offer on buy 4 get 1 free over the may bank holiday , std price its about 4.8p per litre , cheap enough , good quality, easy to move round, only need to open 30L at a time , they can be cut in half to grow in each end