Peat free compost

[Eternal Sunshine]

Does anyone have any advice on peat free compost? I have a lot of containers to fill, for veg, herbs and flowers. I've got 1 plastic compost bin, but there's nowhere near enough for what I need. When I've bought peat free stuff in bags before I've not been too happy with it - seems dry & more like very fine wood chippings! Has anyone found a good brand, or do you have any ideas how to improve the stuff on offer?

[seasprout]

According to gardening which? who do trials each year on different types of compost... the best peat free for many years has been the brand New Horizon, its available from Wyvales and many others. Apparently the worst peat free composts have been stores own brands, such as B&Q, Homebase etc.. :-)

[muckdiva]

I get peat free compost from my local recycling centre (Farthinghoe, Northamptonshire). They produce it from green waste, and it seems fine so far. Not sure if suitable for seed sowing, but I'm sure it would be ok for potting on, and tubs, and it was cheap too - 5 bags for £10 I seem to remember. It's almost black, quite crumbly and looks like, well... like good home made compost I suppose.... Might be worth checking if your local council does the same.

[Eternal Sunshine]

Cheers you two. I'll look out for that brand of compost. It may have been a Homebase one that I tried last, can't remember...

I'll ring my local council too, see what they have on offer.

[NOG]

My council does £5 per ton

[TPeers]

My council does £5 per ton

Lucky you! My council, quite apart from having closed the main nursery and making half the garden crew redundant charge £25 a ton for their compost, and add a delivery charge as well!

It's nice stuff though, half my veg bed must be made of it to lighten the clay - works wonders.

Just need to pursuade the OH to get some more for the flower borders this year.....

[muckdiva]

That sounds like a great deal Nog. Must ask our council what the price is for bulk. I've only seen their compost offered in bags. Thanks for the tip.

[serenity]

I tried quite a few brands last year, homebase was definately the worst. It was so bad all it was suitable for was mulching. I did have to double check the bag as thought I had bought bark chips by mistake

[shirlthegirl43]

I bought 4 bags of peat free compost from Focus for ten pounds. It is okay. A few twigs and bits of wood shavings but seived through it is great for seedlings and not much big stuff left over - that goes in my spud buckets anyway. I mix the seived stuff with vermiculite and perlite to make it nice and light for sowing seeds.

[Alison]

According to gardening which? who do trials each year on different types of compost... the best peat free for many years has been the brand New Horizon, its available from Wyvales and many others. Apparently the worst peat free composts have been stores own brands, such as B&Q, Homebase etc.. :-)

My own experience agrees with this, had almost given up with using it as some if it is so bad until I discovered the New Horizon stuff a couple of years ago. It's every bit as good as the peat stuff but you can have a clear conscience. The only thing to remember is that you have to be more consistent with your watering as it is hard to re-hydrate if you let it dry out.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Eternal Sunshine - the council do bags of peat free compost made from everyones "leftovers" at the tip in Farrington for £2.50 a sack. I got 8 sacks a couple of weekends ago - need to go back and get some more! Just join the queue of cars and go and ask one of the very nice chaps there! Bernie aka Dexterdog

[Eternal Sunshine]

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Dexterdog, I'll pop down to the tip tomorrow.

[NOG]

Lucky you! My council, quite apart from having closed the main nursery and making half the garden crew redundant charge £25 a ton for their compost, and add a delivery charge as well!

Go to the Recycling center in the Brighton Road used to be the Croydon dump and get croypost from them..think it is £1 a bag or if you have a trailer go to the compost making center at Coomble Lane top of Gravel Hill and get a load.

They come at you with a JCB and bury your trailer, you drive round the yard a few times and what stays in you keep.