B&Q compost

[veggiechicken]

I could manage Chepstow no problems! I'll see who else it stocks it - never heard of it!

[SarzWix]

We bought the peat-free Verve stuff for school and it's been appalling. So many seeds didn't germinate, and seedlings that were potted up into it went from strong and healthy to stunted or dead. I managed to save a handful of tomato plants by washing the soil off the roots and repotting them very deeply into fresh compost, but the roots on the plants were very odd, really thin and wispy.

In fact, I have a couple of pics for comparison, if I can find them...

[SarzWix]

The ill looking one is in Verve compost, the healthy one is in reduced-peat, both the same variety, sown at the same time, potted up on the same day. Really glad I ran out of the peat-free before I'd finished!!
We've since started using Moorland Gold compost, which is reclaimed peat. It costs more of course, but fits in with what we're trying to teach the kids about sustainability, while not killing the plants...

[VirginVegGrower]

I use B and Q because it works for me, but I am seeking out the old style bags as the Verve is too woody. I don't have germination or potting on problems.

[Jimmy]

Do councils not sell compost they make from your recycle bins?
Anyone tried this ?
Jimmy

[yekim_4321]

Has any one else had any problems with the B&Q VERVE compost.
I have used B&Q compost for the past few years without any problems, but this year I have had many.
1. poor to no germination
2. slow groth.
3. a lot of dieback after repotting on
4. stunted groth.
I have had to knock all the compost off before planting on.
the Tomatoes were a good example; once into a good compost they shot away.
Any more examples of this????????????

Yep i can say i have had the same problems and switched to Erin, the verve was very wet and stank, it actually smelt like horse manure, but yes everything that was planted either did not grow/germinate and what did was stunted, when potting on i also knocked of the compost and everything suddenly started to shoot away...before it was rebranded i would use nothing but their 125ltr bags of mpc...
Have to agree with RustyLady i am finding that in general the quality is going downhill...finding glass and copper wire along with other things.

SarzWix.....You been taking pics in my GH that is exactly what some of mine looked like..

i bought verve peat free..

[Shadylane]

The New Horizon was garbage this year... I think it should be re-labelled as wood chippings not compost.

I'm the first to stand up and recommend NH, however: this batch I'm using is really, really woody. It's also got pebbles, glass & plastic in it.


I think companies are now trying to make stuff "on the cheap"

Well it was the Vital Earth that had the poor texture not NH, although NH wasn't amazing and was woody, it was quite pleasant in comparison to the awful Vital Earth, which I'd heard on here was supposed to be very good.

As for the NH I've had to had Blood fish and bone to everything just to get it to grow. I even did a comparison with the sweetcorn by adding a very small amount to one batch and leaving another without and the difference was staggering. I can get BFF quite cheap from the allotment shop, but you really shouldn't have to add anything at the early stages.

[WendyC]

I've used the New Horizon for a few years but this year when I did my patio pots noticed it really smelt. In fact made the mistake of leaving a couple of bags in the car for a day and the car still smells. There are two garden centres near me, one has 50l bags ( buy 2 get 3rd free) and the other has 60l bags. I'm wondering if that is old stock as I think it was tbe newer 50l bags which were smelliest. Stuff seems to be growing, surprising given the weather. Beechgrove are trialling composts which I am following with interest. Will have to get fact file to look at full results.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Well its got to be said.

It would seem that its the people who are trying to do the right thing and use peat free that are suffering the most.

Which leads me to think two things (a) The manufacturers know their product will be bought by a certain group of people and they don't give a monkeys about whats in the bag as long as it makes them money. (b) They really haven't got this peat free thing sorted yet and can't produce a good product with any kind of consistancy.

My votes for (A).

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Agreed ^^^^ Potty. I think we are being taken for a ride by many of the "compost" manufacturers. There is no consistency, year on year, and there is a lot of rubbish being sold in the name of peat-free.
Most of it doesn't even feel or smell pleasant. If I don't like touching it, what are my seeds going to think?

[dominic10]

This year I bought two small bags of seed compost which was fine but didn't last long, a bag of compost from Lidl (it seemed to me to be last years bark chips badly uncomposted and as hard as a rock - put straight into dalek yet last year I thought I bought a bag from them and it was fine) and 3 huge bags of compost Maxi Plus from Homebase on a special offer. I had to sieve the Homebase compost and the third bag was full of mould when I opened it. The thought of sieving this and breathing it in resulted in my taking it back and getting a refund. I sieved it because there were lumps of uncomposted twigs/wood in it. I have been using 125l B & Q verve since then and things seem to be growing - it's the weather which seems to be the problem. But I have taken out the remains of what seems to be 4 inch pieces of fence panel or something very like it from the Verve. Can't wait to be using my own from down on the allotment. And it's going to be ages before my little worms produce anything useable but at least it wont resemble twigs, etc.