[Christine]

The local garden centre has some that were bought at the end of 2008 - Miraclegro, it's a peat based one if I remember right. The plastic bags are faded.

Will it be usable? It's been stacked outside ever since delivered, including over the last winter.

Views please. Was thinking of going and making them a silly offer for it as it's so old. 

[BostonInbred]

Compost lasts forever. It sits in a peat bog 10,000 years no problem.

However, there may be other ingredients that expire, especially CRF (Controlled Release Fertilisers). Any compost with a CRF in thats more than a year old in  may well be quite hot, and would fry your  seedlings.

If all it is made of is peat, green waste etc, then no problem

The only other foreseeable problem is it might have been kept outside and could be VERY wet.

[8doubles]

Bags of compost last no time at all ,
Mine seem to evaporate when i start potting up.

[mumofstig]

I bought some old stock last year and just added a very little BFB as I used it

[JayG]

I'd be tempted to buy the bags a few layers down from the top of the pile if possible unless they agree to a ridiculous offer in which case I would probably take the lot and blow them a kiss as I drove off shouting "YESSS!!" (under my breath, of course!) 

[Christine]

Well yes I sort of thought something like that JayG.  I just wanted some sensible feedback before I went and held discussions.

[JayG]

We don't know how much they've got or how much you want to buy Christine.

Fading of the packaging is no big deal but the bags usually have aeration perforations which can let water in, especially so if they have also split.

The more damage there is the more potential risk there is for seedlings in particular but if you can get a good deal I'm sure it would all be useable one way or the other.

[savbo]

Compost lasts forever. It sits in a peat bog 10,000 years no problem.

totally agree with your point but strictly speaking - when you take the peat out of the bog, doesn't it start to decompose? It's the anaerobic bog conditions that stops it decomposing - out of the bog it's pretty much like any other plant material.

However, that takes years, so not a problem with the question at hand

[wighty]

As a retailer of compost please may I make a point here.  We have to buy a minimum of seven pallets at a time which is 65 bags per pallet.  We have to put in our order in October for the next year so it is a common practice to sell 'old' bags as there is no 'sell by dates' on compost.

[BostonInbred]

As a retailer of compost please may I make a point here.  We have to buy a minimum of seven pallets at a time which is 65 bags per pallet.  We have to put in our order in October for the next year so it is a common practice to sell 'old' bags as there is no 'sell by dates' on compost.

A further point - the reason you buy 7 pallets is because a curtain side artic carries 21-26 pallets, and  the factory gets charged for the load and then another surcharge per drop off. It becomes uneconomic to make more than 3 drops off one lorry, hence each drop has to be minimum of 1/3 of a load,, ie 7-8 pallets.

The haulage company doesnt care if they carry 1 pallet or 26, you'll still get charged the same - ie for a full load.

[Christine]

Well having asked the question, it turned out that the garden centre had used up the faded bags when potting up their own seedlings. So much for getting a bargain. 

[BostonInbred]

Compost lasts forever. It sits in a peat bog 10,000 years no problem.

totally agree with your point but strictly speaking - when you take the peat out of the bog, doesn't it start to decompose? It's the anaerobic bog conditions that stops it decomposing - out of the bog it's pretty much like any other plant material.

However, that takes years, so not a problem with the question at hand

No, its already decomposed (or composted), thats why its peat    (at least the stuff more than a foot down is)


However, please note human bodies dont compost.........

[mumofstig]

Well having asked the question, it turned out that the garden centre had used up the faded bags when potting up their own seedlings. So much for getting a bargain. 

oh bad luck Christine, after all the research