Quality of bought compost

[pipscariad]

I don't get through vast amounts of bought compost, but as I grow more and more veg each year it will increase. After reading the various threads on compost on here tonight, it has just made me even more determined to make as much of my own as I can - then if I'm not happy with the quality it's my own fault!

To this end I'm going great guns at making the stuff at the moment - worms in the wormery are being asked to work at max capacity (and they're coping pretty well, the darlings), and I'm gathering all sorts to put in my bins - 2 hauls of seaweed yesterday, a bucket of nettles today, and sheep droppings and bits of wool (who knows how that will go, but worth a try I reckon!) too. I'm crushing all my eggshells right down now too, as they stayed whole in my previous batch. I read a brilliant thread by Geordie, and was inspired!

[Duronal]

Hmm i've just noticed that i've managed to germinate some mushrooms in my propagator......

I wouldn't mind but they're probably poisonous and the intended seeds haven't shown yet.

[crichmond]

Interesting - I've had the same problem. Apparently compost deteriates with age, perhaps it was old stuff being sold?

Unfortunately it is impossible for that to be the case because the way it works is that the compost rots with age meaning that the components of it deteriate meaning they get smaller so for us to find bits of sticks means they havent composted properly, yes lumps of compost can form if compressed but will break up if rubbed.

[snohare]

he bloke who told me said you could see small lumps of the plastic/formica stuff in it.

I bought some bags of Homes and Garden mpc from Poundstretcher this year, for sowing into pots and potting up - 20L bags from last year reduced to 89p each. I thought I couldn't go wrong really, since I have no way of transporting bigger bags anyway.
It had to have come from a municipal composting site or something like that. It had countless scraps of plastic and white chips of what had obviously been painted boards and/or formica from worktops; well rotted, but so what, still full of nasty formaldehyde breakdown products, not to mention the twigs...plus what seemed like normal soil, and purportedly had sphagnum moss and fertiliser.
I sieved a couple of bags, and the stuff that I didn't discard made a very nice tilth to put on top of the other unsieved stuff; couldn't complain about the germination rate, it was nearly 100%, but how they get away with trumpeting their "organic range" I will never know.
I'm looking forward to my leafmould compost once it breaks down, I've seen how good it is made from birch leaves !

[sauzee]

Our allotments have council lorry's drop off tons of leaf mulch all autumn and winter when the leaves fall.The only problem is it has a lot of plastic,metal cans and glass and it is full of tree seeds which have no problem growing.we also have a tree surgeon who drops off lots of shredded bark and twigs.I have found that mp compost from lidl also has lots of stones and sticks

[Storming Norman]

There was a gardeners world special on recently that said the govt has targeted compost producers to be using 50% less peat in compost by now, and 90% by next year. They interviewed a guy from Westland and he said they were having success with adding more shredded wood - hence all your recent experiences. Some shredding is finer than others, depending on price.

I have recently been using a soil conditioner mixed with bagged peat free compost to make up for the missing peat and restore the wetability of the compost to a standard I prefer. I found this out by accident when improving the soil in my garden with a product known as humost that I am able to source locally - Soil Conditioners
[Its a lot cheaper to me due to being local.]

I used to work in the shredding/green waste industry so I know there are many similar sources around the UK. The bulk bags can be incredibly good value as well as it being a great quality product - just how you would like your own compost to turn out!

It's a pretty good soil conditioner for my alkaline clay soil as well - I get much better veg nowadays.

Ann

[Topcat36]

I noticed this as well i had chunks of god knows what in one bag, i got some from the co-op and they were the best so far, cant remember what make they were tho. Hope to start making my own need to build a composter first, my plastic one is to big no where to put it in this garden. Have already planned what i will be doing this autumn going leaf collecting .

[rob the roller]

Thank you everyone for your responses.

The compost I am currently buying is Arthur Bowers MP, which is the cheapest at my local Garden Centre. Previously I bought New Horizons. The AB works out a little cheaper if you take advantage of special offers. I don't have any information on the current quality of the NH, but it used to be quite acceptable.

I find that after sieving the lumps can go in the bottom of the planter or bucket, where they assist with drainage, and the finer compost in the upper half.

I thought I was going to extremes buying 20 bags a year. Sewer Rat puts me to shame with his two pallets! How many bags/litres does that come to? Do you get it delivered and what sort of discount do you get when you buy by the pallet?

I have just built my fourth composter. The first 3 are council plastic domes, the latest is built with pallets. Trouble is they are starting to take up a lot of space I would rather use for growing. A compost heap takes up the same amount of space as a tree!

So far as deterioration of compost goes, it has always been my understanding that commercial compost includes additives intended to give the plants a few weeks start. These additives breakdown with time, which can be as little as a few weeks, but the compost as a growing medium or soil improver should not be affected. I used to wait until the end of the season, September through November, when it was heavily discounted, and bought as much as I could get in the back of the car for use the following Spring. I don't recall ever finding it failed to perform.

Has anyone compared John Innes types with GP, and if so, what conclusions were reached?

[Sanjo]

BTW is anyone else as sad as me asking for compost for my birthday ;¬)

Yep, that's me too. My OH moans every time but still gets me a practical present.
My daughter didn't ask this year and for my birthday I got 25Kilos of bird seed!!!

[NOG]

I have 12 Compost Bins (8 Darlics, 2 Pallet build, 1 8ft diamater steel and 1 5 ft square wood) 1 wormary. But still have to buy compost...

I have noticed that last year you got 3 70 litre bags for £10. This year its 3 60 litre bags for £12.

[Nippy]

Just to throw a new slant on this.... perhaps the compost companies have been caught with their proverbial pant's down by the sudden upturn in GYO?

That was just what I was thinking, supply can't meet demand.

Interesting - I've had the same problem. Apparently compost deteriates with age, perhaps it was old stuff being sold?

Does deterioration make logs grow cos I have found almost half a tree in some bags I have bought
Miracle Grow with feed and water retension granules added has been the best I have bought so far and the plants don't half grow.

[Snadger]

..................................Does deterioration make logs grow cos I have found almost half a tree in some bags I have bought ...............................................
.

Even in peat based composts sticks and logs will be found. The peat is thousands of years old but tends to preserve things like for instance Tollund Man

. Must admit......I've never found a man or woman in mine though!

Tollund Man - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[crichmond]

I just had some so called good top soil delivered, equivelant to 3 tractor bucket fulls, by the time I took the bricks/rocks/sandstone blocks/weeds/sticks and a full tree stump out I reckong there is just under two buckets left.

Yes the soil thats left is good but I wouldnt have called it good quality when it arrived.
I cant complain though aqs I got it free.

[Snadger]

.................Yes the soil thats left is good but I wouldnt have called it good quality when it arrived.
I cant complain though aqs I got it free.

Should have haggled him down!

[crichmond]

should have haggled him down!

lol, maybe he should have paid me...