Council compost

[swampy]

Hi to all,I recently contacted my local council recycling facility regarding whether they could supply me with some compost.They said that they could supply me with a 35 cubic yard skip load (about 8'x8'x20' long) for free,I just had to pay for delivery.
Has anyone else used this recycled compost and if so how did they get on with their crops-improvement or not?
Many thanks in advance Swampy

[Sue]

Hi
I've used coucil compost once. Quite rough and the odd bit of plastic in it. However I wanted it for mulch and it was fine for that. Obviously cheaper than normal compost so it seemed a good bargain for mulching. However my council doesn't deliver and I don't have a car so was only lucky to get some once due to a kindly neighbour.
Sue

[snuffer]

You are very fortunate in being able to get hold of this stuff for 'delivery only'. Our local recycling centre is run for the council by a private contractor. Their compost is sold as a soil improver at £3.00 aprox. per 30 litre bag (that's not a typo they really are only 30 litre bags). Hence, at that price I've never tried it.

I have seen other posts on the grapevine relating to council compost. It is usualy said that it's a bit coarse and twiggy but makes a great soil improver.

[DavidJP]

Its 38 pounds delivered for a large agricultural sized fertilizer bag full or 2.50 for a normal sized bag that you can carry here. Sounds like you have a good deal there. I've bought some in the past and worked it in and has disappeared fairly quickly seems quite good. Interesting to go to the site where they make it as theres a compost mountain about 50 feet high the size of a small football field steaming away.

[NSB]

Were allowed three bags free per time from our local dump

[Snadger]

I've just recieved a letter from the local council saying they are giving away FREE soil improver to our allotments.
I still need to reply to find out all the details................I wonder whether I can haggle them on the price?

[lottie dolly]

I've just recieved a letter from the local council saying they are giving away FREE soil improver to our allotments.
I still need to reply to find out all the details...............I wonder whether I can haggle them on the price?

we get it free in our area,it's usually advertised in the paper,as well as word and mouth round the lotties,last year a large heap was outside our lottie gates ,and a long line of vehicles,the best of was,we just barrowed it in,and the fact that others were ristricted to 4 bags?,we just kept going,my granddaughter helped me,but it ***********hard work,this year it was elsewhere,and i didn't bother,lost me get up and go so if yours is out side like ours was,take some help with you,and a good handfull of spinach,it worked for popeye

[bobleponge]

Do any French residents know of such a scheme at home?
I asked at my local tip and they told me it goes to the big tip, a good hour and a half drive away.
At my local Mairie I have been given free gravel and topsoil in the past, which has been handy, but they dont do compost.

[swampy]

Ok thanks to all for the advice,now to contact them and try to haggle on delivery!!

[Matt.]

We get free compost delivered to the site by the council. The fact its free means you can't complain.... but its pretty crap stuff . Full of twigs, evergreen cuttings and some rubbish. If you were prepared to sieve it you'd get excellent leaf mould from the remainder but its ok. Add to the fact I can get 10's of barrow loads and its better than not having it.

[SlugLobber]

Never heard of this scheme and as someone whose garden is in dire need, I shall enquire. What's the betting that Mole Valley charge silly amounts though?!?

[bluemoon]

I've never dared to use it for fear of importing Japanese Knotweed or honey fungus or some other such nasty. Is it composted at a high enough temperature to kill the baddies off? If it is I'll have to look into getting some. I know the local collection points say that it is not allowed to even put Japanese Knotweed in the bins, but how many people really know the name or what it is? I've heard it referred to as wild bamboo so often I think many people believe that's its real name.

[Alison]

We used to have a thing that meant that everytime you took a bag of green waste to the tip you got a token and when you had 5 you could swap them for a bag of compost. Unfortunatly when I took a load of stuff I'd cut down from the lottie I was told that they'd discontinued the scheme until further notice. No reason given so heaven only knows what they do with it now.

[Dipzy]

I haven't tried the compost myself but the recycle centre in Kew near Richmond, Surrey sell large compost bins for £5. It doesn't have a door but an excellent price considering they average £20-£30.

[Jenegade]

I get free compost from my local council recycling depot. There's a huge pile of it, you're allowed two bags each visit!

I am also a bit wary though, has anyones plot received some invasive plant through this? I know they're is a lot of Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed around my area!

It is free though....