Good value potting compost and grow bags for 2013?

[JustPotteringAbout]

Hi
I'm looking for some decent quality potting compost (for germinating mainly brassicas beets and alliums) and growbags (for tomatoes, courgettes and I might try my hand at grapes and capsicums).
I had a look in the damaged bags at a few pound stores and suprmarket and many seem to full of barely-rotted twigs with a smattering of fine humus. One could collect better sweepings off the pavement!

I have a lift organised for tomorrow [Tue] and can't normally get to out-of-town places or shlep this sort of stuff on the bus.

Thanks in advance

[veggiechicken]

I think lots of us are looking for decent quality compost this year.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ighlight=verve
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...3-a_70229.html
If you find any, let us know

[Yorkshire.Dave]

I got the 2x 60L bags of compost from Wilcos in the 2 for £8 deal, Seems ok to me.

Wilko Get Growing Multi-Purpose Compost 60ltr at wilko.com

The verve from B&Q is ok too.....But I use Miracle grow for germinating my chilli seeds as I always have great results from that.

[SarzWix]

I'm not sure a grow-bag is the right thing to grow a grape in? A large container, with something like John Innes No. 3, or topsoil might do though.

If you're peat free, I got New Horizon from B&M for a not bad price, and there wasn't many lumpy bits. Right now I'm using Erin Reduced Peat blend which is on offer at my local GC £4 for 70l, too good a price to turn down and really good texture-wise too.

[Two_Sheds]

You can make your own potting compost, which will stretch the cost a bit

[JustPotteringAbout]

Thanks all. Much easier deciding in store with a range of options than from a computer screen at home.

My sister kindly gave me a lift to B&Q and there was so much more selection in the bit out the back I didn't know about.
I was tempted by the Levington Tomorite but not being overly optimistic about the weather I thought the extra paid for them wasn't worth it so just bought Verve grow bags 5 for 4.
Dad had decent tomato crops with them for about five years until last year's lack of sun.

I intended going peat-free but they had reduced the price of discontinue items and some burst bags to £1.
Verve sowing and cutting compost. (burst)
Verve Strawberry planter (discontinued)
Verve soil improver (burst)

Unfortunately that was all I could get in the car.

I also took the plastic sheet that was wrapping the pallets off them for a plastic mulch for veg beds, so some lovely fresh seaweed rotting away under sheet just now.

I have a good stock of seaweed; bones; bovine, equine and chicken (galline?) dung, vermicompost, manure, ash, straw. etc, so if there's any macronutrients of colloids missing I can add whatever (anything except sun). The relatively small size of the Verve grow bags cf, say the Tomorite ones may limit root size . I suppose maybe if they are getting nutrients from a small footprint and they are under glass away from wind there's no structural need for wider roots.

Are tomatoes OK with crowded roots?

My vermicompost hasn;t rotted down very well the last year. Neighbours have been depositing their food waste but often in the form of bags containing whole fruits, loaves and it's been a near constant task checking the composteers and getting enough carbon in.

[Two_Sheds]

I also took the plastic sheet that was wrapping the pallets off them for a plastic mulch for veg beds

Clear plastic? That will heat the soil up and weeds will grow massively fast under it

I have a good stock of seaweed; bones; bovine, equine and chicken (galline?) dung, vermicompost, manure, ash, straw. etc,

No humanure yet?

Are tomatoes OK with crowded roots?

Not really. They're very thirsty creatures, and grow bags are no good, unless you cut them in half and up-end them. Or, plant a pot in the middle of the grow bag ~ you put the tomato plant in the pot.

Neighbours have been depositing their food waste but often in the form of bags containing whole fruits, loaves and it's been a near constant task checking the composteers

The school ones are a nightmare: people put in plastic bags full of carrots, apples etc. Plastic knives & forks, polystyrene ... drives me nuts

getting enough carbon in

the easiest way is to wrap kitchen peelings in a sheet of newspaper, like a chippy parcel

Otherwise, add layers of shredded paper, or scrunched up sheets of newspaper

Or pet bedding (guinea pigs, rabbits, etc)