Bulk buy Compost or mixing it?

[MarkHackwell]

I currently have 40 x 30 Litre Pots of which I will be growing my Potatoes in this year. However I now need the compost of which I worked out would be about 1200 Litres. Now that is pricey so does anyone know where I could get good quality compost at a cheaper price? Or should I mix part soil and part compost? I would use my own but I havnt got any hence the need to buy soon

[Small pumpkin]

I have the same problem for my chillies.
I use homemade compost and manure for my spuds bags. Both of which are free. Can you not get some manure from local stables or farm? Spuds love growing in that. You really don't need to spend a fortune on compost for spuds

[bikermike]

local authority compost? (it's sometimes free).

Do you have a plot/other vegetable pots? you could put what they are growing in last year into the mix for this years potatoes

I'd adopt a mix (so to speak) of all options - buy what you need to, but pad it out to the extent you can with what you can get free/soil/manure.

Do you have somewhere else to use it next year?

I personally wouldn't want to grow next year's potatoes in the same stuff (especially if you are unlucky with disease), so you'll need to do the same next year. Worth starting a compost heap for next year if you can. (and then the year after that you are probably OK to use a mix of this year's compost and year 2's made compost)

[ESBkevin]

Soil is OK but you need to feed it for spuds, well rotted manure is the favourite mixed in in decent concentrations. Can you get hold of any autumn leaves from beside footpaths or heaped up in a local park/churchyard? You'll get a crop either way, but well fed tubers are typically bigger and more betterer!

[Kirk]

Least costly - if they still do it - is likely the large bags from B&Q (Verve ??)
Does seem to be variable in quality even from the same store so I assume that have different sources. For p[otatoes I would mix 2 part compost with 1 part manure. Potatoes need the feeding.

That is likely to add to the cost, even if you do need effectively less compost.

These days compost is really something for the plants to set roots into, nutrients are another aspect.

Suggest you keep the old growing medium from this year, add manure and use again next. I always have the impression that the struff at least looks better, almost as if it has composted down a bit more.

Save you buying a load again, but 40x30 litre pots adds up to a lot.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Plenty of places on line for bulk buying.

It will be a more or less one off purchase if you save it and add nutrients next year to use again, providing you have not been hit by disease.

If you have room a couple a daleks would be a great advantage in the coming years to keep adding fresh compost to your pile.

Do remember if you use multi-purpose compost what ever the bag says consider it devoid of nutrients by week 5 to 6 and feed regularly.

[MarkHackwell]

I have the same problem for my chillies.
I use homemade compost and manure for my spuds bags. Both of which are free. Can you not get some manure from local stables or farm? Spuds love growing in that. You really don't need to spend a fortune on compost for spuds

I would use manure from the stables but after the other year I'm very sceptical too so I might buy some and mix it as it's not usually that expensive (especially compared to compost)!

[MarkHackwell]

Unfortunately around here they seem to sell on the compost that is 'green waste' and god only knows what is in that stuff!

For the compost I will reuse it in pots next year sont will be a one off purchase

[MarkHackwell]

Plenty of places on line for bulk buying.

It will be a more or less one off purchase if you save it and add nutrients next year to use again, providing you have not been hit by disease.

If you have room a couple a daleks would be a great advantage in the coming years to keep adding fresh compost to your pile.

Do remember if you use multi-purpose compost what ever the bag says consider it devoid of nutrients by week 5 to 6 and feed regularly.

Thanks for the good advice What's a dalek? (I looked it up online and it came up with Doctor Who so I don't think that's what you were on about )

[Penellype]

Thanks for the good advice What's a dalek? (I looked it up online and it came up with Doctor Who so I don't think that's what you were on about )

There are a variety of relatively cheap round or oval plastic compost bins that vaguely resemble daleks, hence the name. These are sometimes sold on offer by local councils, so if you want one it is worth checking the price at the council first.

There is good advice about making compost in a dalek here: How to Make Great Compost with a Dalek Composter