Advice needed on which compost to use (sorry, long post)

[IndigoElectron]

Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice please. Apologies in advance for the epic post!


I have read a lot about different types of compost, and think I more or less have my head around it. This is what I think I need (though see comments below):

Fruit trees/permanent displays (e.g. fig tree, perennial herbs): soil based compost such as John Innes no.3
Fruit plants/semi-permanent displays (e.g. strawberries): soil based compost such as John Innes no.2
Annual displays (e.g. tomatoes, courgettes, salads): multi-purpose compost


The problem is I read different things in different places. For example, for my fig tree I have read all of the following:

Use John Innes no.3
Use John Innes no.3 with 20% added grit
Use a 50:50 mix of soil-based compost and multi-purpose compost (this wasn't recommended for figs specifically but the book said in general soil-based composts are heavy and compact easily, hence the 50:50 mix)

For my strawberry plants (which will be in hanging baskets):
Use multi-purpose compost
Use a mix of John Innes no.2 soil based-compost and multi-purpose compost (the book didn't say what ratio to use which isn't very helpful!)

For mint:
Use multi-purpose compost
Use a mix of multi-purpose compost and soil-based compost (the book didn't say what type of soil-based compost or what ratio to use)

For camomile, thyme, rosemary, oregano:
Use multi-purpose compost
Use John Innes no.3

For bay:
Use John Innes no.2
Use a 50:50 mix of soil-based compost and multi-purpose compost

For sage:
Use multi-purpose compost
Use soil-based compost (the book didn't say which type)

For basil:
Use multi-purpose compost
Use a 50:50 mix of soil-based compost and multi-purpose compost


And there are other contradictions too - for example, one book says to use multi-purpose compost for carrots, leeks and cabbages , and another says to use John Innes no.3. I will be planting my carrots in the ground so this doesn't matter, but it is still rather confusing.

Also, for the herbs, I want to plant several different types in one container. If it turns out they do need soil-based compost, will the ones that need multi-purpose compost cope okay?


So, how do I know which instructions are right? Or doesn't it matter? Maybe I am worrying about it too much :-)


These are the multi-purpose composts I am looking at:
Levington Original Multi Purpose Compost 50 litres
Levington Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes - 50 litre

Which should I choose? Is there much difference between them? They are quite pricy so I was going to mix in some cheap compost from Wilkinson's, would that be okay? I have my own compost bins but they are not ready yet.

And last of all, what should I choose for my hanging baskets (that will contain strawberries, tomatoes and various flowers). Is it worth getting this:
Levington Container and Hanging Basket Compost - 50 litre
or is it better to use a multi-purpose compost/John Innes no.2, with added water-retaining granules?


If you've made it this far, thank you! :-)

[alldigging]

Everything in containers?

[IndigoElectron]

Oops, sorry, I missed out the most important part!

Yes, it's all in containers, except the carrots leeks and cabbages - I just mentioned those as an example where the advice is also contradictory.

[Bill HH]

There comes a time in the learning process when you just have to shrug your shoulders and get on with it.

Mint for instance will grow in a bag of cement! (well almost) you just cant stop it.

Strawberries, the best crop I ever had were in a container of MPC.

Your problems dont end there either because there is MPC and MPC they vary widely from good to useless.

In my own mixed up way I tend to generalise and say if its going to be in a pot for a season then MPC will be ok, but things destined to stay in there for longer need a more soil based product. Simple but it works for me.

[Chippy Minton]

My experience for what it's worth is there's a little too much worrying about this growing lark. Most stuff will grow in most stuff, the yields may vary but most growing mediums will be OK. Ericaceous is slightly different but all those fancy mixes come down to the same in the end. You need to water and add nutrient after a while. Mint is pretty hard to kill, basil doesn't like living in Cheshire (doubt it's the compost more the cold and wet) Try it, see what happens, try something else.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks both. I had a feeling I was worrying about it all too much :-) I will just get on with it then!

[Bill HH]

I also have this vision of the maufactures of compost making just one product then labeling some of it differently (hanging basket mix) and charging more for it. or am I being cynical.

[alldigging]

Some versions will be lighter. But if you're a wimp with deep pockets then you can opt to buy that lighter stuff. Certainly breaks your back less.

[IndigoElectron]

Not a wimp at all and if it saves money I will manage! I'm mostly concerned about how well my fruit and veggies will grow.

[mothhawk]

I use MPC or hanging basket compost for hanging baskets, because I find JI too heavy on a free-standing hanger which has a spike embedded in the soil. (It's actually my bird feeder hanger)

HBC has added water retaining granules, but you can add those yourself, or water more often, or make a self-waterer for them. For all other tubs and pots which are permanent I use JI 3 for mature plants, or JI 2 for younger ones. The difference is mostly in the amount of fertiliser and the coarseness of the mix.

[Kirk]

Having done it once I would never use JI No3 on it's own.
It literally turned out like cement. Was more then a little disappointed in it. To say that to extract the plant (tree) from it took a hammer is no exageration.

Most multi purpose compost appears to be simply a medium in which the plants get support, nutrients etc are added when it is produced - these wash out. So it is possible to end up with a sterile medium before long.

For containers I tend to use MPC and manure mixed. The ratio is sort of guesswork depending on what is planted, maybe some sand but generally not.

Strange but I notice that if the compost+manure mix is left in the container for a year after whatever has grown in it then it looks a lot better and more solid. I therefore tend to add some more manure and reuse. Which begs the question of does the compost compost down and is it better after this?

[Veggielot]

You could get speific types of compost for each different fruit and veg. However unless they have a very specific requirements, like bluberries, I would just go with a general mpc. You can supplement it with appropriate feed.

[IndigoElectron]

Thanks everyone, that's helpful. It's a bit worrying about the JI3 though - do you think you might have got a bad batch Kirk? Anyone else got any experience of this? It does seem to be recommended a lot.

[JoeDaStudd]

Personally I'd just get a bag of MPC from a local garden centre, or even supermarket when they get stock, check it then if it looks good (ie no big lumps of wood, plastic or anything else you don't want) get as much as you need.
At which point you can get different fertilizers/feeds and fillers (moisture release pellets, etc) depending on where your using it and for what plants.
I've had bags of super cheap supermarket mpc produce better results then high end mpc costing 3 times as much. Both can have bad batches, but atleast with the cheap stuff if its a bad batch its only a small amount lost.

[Penellype]

I grow a lot of things in pots partly so I can move things around. I find MPC (I use Westland) works fine for most things. If you are going to use the compost again for a 2nd crop you will need to add some kind of feed or you will find the plants start to look pale and weak from lack of nutrients.

The exceptions I make are:
Blueberries (and anything like heathers, azaeleas etc) need ericaceous compost, and in this area need watering with rain water, not tap water.
Tomatoes seem to do better if potted up in compost from tomato grobags (you can buy large ones which are cheaper than the equivalent amount from small ones).
Carrots, which tend to get a bit excitable in compost with a lot of feed added, it can make them fork and also run to seed earlier which makes the roots tough. Carrots are better in compost which has already grown something else - I use what comes out of the potato bags for mine and just add a little fresh compost so the carrots have something to eat.
Permanent plantings, especially shrubs or trees are probably better in a John Innes type compost, although this does make them very heavy to move around.