[Kleftiwallah]

Good afternoon gardeners,

I sieved/riddled about half a bag of New Horizon compost in preparation for adding Vermiculite for seed sowing.  This is what I found and it is not all that was in the compost after riddling.

Addendum,upon close examination of the wood, it is not twigs or gorse/bracken stems.  Most of it is manufactured wood ranging in length from 1/2 - 2" and 3/32 X 1/4" it even looks as though it has been planed!
Cheers,  Tony.

[Alank]

Most of the compost available now is absolute rubbish.
Early in the season I bought some of the usual garden centre/supermarket offerings to try out and all of them were poor to the point of some of them that were being sold as multi purpose ended up being spread around the fruit trees etc absolute rubbish.
We are being ripped off big style 

[Goosegirl]

I got some Sylvagrow because I found it very good last year after someone recommended it to me and wouldn't use it for anything else. This year I potted on some plug plants etc and then some very thin-stalked fungi grew with had a pale brown umbrella-shaped head and died within the day. A couple of months ago I re-potted three houseplants with it and am now cross because the stuff is covered in little flies. I think I'll try and get Jack's Magic next year if it's still available and not years old stock.

[Christine]

Our allotment trading hut got a delivery of Jacks Magic early in season, It isn't selling well.

[Kleftiwallah]

A physics question...  I have a kerb side refuse box that I use to mix potting compost, Vermiculite and F.B.B. with a border spade (which is getting rather difficult) .  I was thinking of drilling holes in the centre of each end, inserting a pole and after clamping on the lid resting the pole on  convenient supports and spinning it. 

Now the puzzler, the compost mix will only mix round and not mix/move from one end with the other.  How about if I drill the holes high on one side and low on 'tother, will that induce the contents to mix completely end to end?

Cheers,  Tony.

[Growster...]

I think that should work to a degree, as you're in effect, turning it horizontally, and also, when the box is higher one end, it will shake the compost 'downwards', then upwards on the one turn!

Presumably you don't actually fill the box to more than - say - half-full, so the stuff can clatter around to its own content?

[Kleftiwallah]

We are thinking along the same lines Growster.  Just waiting for delivery of the Vermiculite and add to a smidge of B.F.B.

Cheers,  Tony.

[muckyboots]

HI all ,we really do need an alternative peat free good quality affordable compost, ive seen the sylvagrow for sale but thought it a bit expensive. Talking to speakers that visit our club in the trade, say they have yet to find a suitable alternative without adding extra feed to get a acceptable result.I wonder if that is why the commercial growers will still be able to use peat.Has anyone found a good one yet, i 'm trying my own experiment with home compost, leafmould etc.I LOVE GARDENING !

[Goosegirl]

If you're using it to sow seeds they don't need much feed to germinate and start growing. If using it for potting on then it could be mixed with home-made compost or a good soil plus a bit of liquid feed. I'd prefer to pay a bit more for a good compost so I won't waste my time or seeds/ plants, riddling rubbish out etc.   

[GraciesGran]

Sinclair multipurpose is proving popular at the allotment shop.

[Growster...]

We are thinking along the same lines Growster.  Just waiting for delivery of the Vermiculite and add to a smidge of B.F.B.

Cheers,  Tony.

The other day, I was waiting for the kettle to boil, and was absent-mindedly turning the coffee jar the same way that you described, Tony!

It surely does mix the way you want it to!

But did it work?

[jezza]

Hello it looks like planted wood because it is a local kitchen manufacture near to where I live doesnt believe in selling their end of line products cheap so they shred them ,the company use to burn the waste but because of all the chemicals used to preserve the timber they were stopped so now its composted with council garden waste ,straw ,sewage sludge and mixed together,first time I saw it being made a delivery man turned up and asked if I knew where ..... Health and Beauty were ,imagine that as a face pack,wonder if one of nature's other peat compost will get banned,,leaf mold,my grandad use to mix leaf mold with sieved sterilized top soil for all his seed sowing ,bet fienfs of the earth now ban leaf mold   jezza

[rowlandwells]

we have been  mulling this old cherry for some time now because  I think we've all come to the conclusion most of this peat free is rubbish and we are being led up the garden path by so called know it all's who keep preaching how good  peat free is and I'm afraid the proof is in the pudding its not as good as the premium peat based composts
 
and after reading that info posted by snowdrops [Dec 27] it makes me cross of what some of these peat free manufactures are trying to offload on the home gardeners so what to use if this peat ban comes in I have used some peat free composts but I'm far from being impressed  basically I don't know what peat free brand to use I don't want to use peat free composts with black sciarid flies in it are they a health hazard do I need to wear gloves when handling peat free composts could it be a  health issue with all this  other rubbish they decide to put in the mix and of cause its the nannies  rule again has anyone bothered to question  if there's a health risk using this compost with all this dodo in it or is it a question of use peat free or go without ?