which compost for growing chillies?

[chilli_grower]

I was wondering which compost is a particularly 'good' one for growing chillies?

Last year I used Asda's compost, which was £2 for a 70 litre bag full!!!!

A good price, and my chillies did seem to grow ok.

I was wondering what everybody elses preferences were?

Are there noticeable differences between say Asda's own and an expensive miracle gro variety?

Thank you

[rustylady]

I use Asda MCP too. Results are usually good, I think this year's poor crops were more due to the weather than the compost.

Whichever brand of compost you buy you will need to feed the plants after about six weeks.

[Alison]

I don't use peat based composts on prinicple for any of my growing which rules out most of the supermarket ones. I grow quite a lot of chillies straight in the borders of the polytunnel but do have some in pots. They're normally sow, potted on and grown in New Horizon multi purpose with a bit of homemade compost thrown into the final pots and they do very well but as I'm sure you know, you do need to feed when fruiting to keep them going well.

With regards your question, if you're happy with the compost you bought then there probably isn't any reason for you to change, I don't find that price is necessarily a good indication of quality, there are rubbish expensive / cheap ones and likewise for good quality too. Sometimes you are paying for quality, other times you're paying for the name and I don't think the fact that some of them have additional food in them is a particularly good deal as you need to feed anyway before long.

[PAULW]

I use asda compost for my chilli's as well but I make a "STRONGER " by addding john innes and peat, idea being if you get behind with the watering MP compost can cap so by adding the peat and JI this will hold onto the moisture a bit longer saves carting the chilli's outside and dumping into bucket of water to restore the wetting.I also add fertilizer to compost before planting

[Matt94]

I always use B&Q's compost for all my plants and have very good results (although I know that some of you haven't ....) including my chilli's and they always do well too

[chilli_grower]

thanks for the replies.

I actually have a big barrel full of well rotted horse manure to use next year.

I will mix this with whatever compost I end up using - Asda's again probably!!!!

I also use chilli focus to feed the plants

Cheers

[The Large One]

if your budget allows add some perlite ( you can buy 100 litre bags on eblag quite cheap)
increases the drainage, chillis hate wet cold feet

[chilli_grower]

yes will do, good idea. I have not used Perlite before....

[maytreefrannie]

if your budget allows add some perlite ( you can buy 100 litre bags on eblag quite cheap)
increases the drainage, chillis hate wet cold feet

Previously I haven't added anything for the purpose of drainage, but it sounds like a good idea. Would sand be OK to use?

[chilli_grower]

I have read somewhere that coarse builders sand would be acceptable for drainage.

[Shroomy]

Its good to use perlite and vermiculite
Perlite for drainage as already said
Vermiculite for water retention
normally a 10:1 mix of each so 10 parts compost to 1 part perlite amd 1 part verm this has been my chilli mix for the last 4 years and works well