[adri123]

Just made a load of 8x4 raised beds. Our soil is clay.  I haven't yet got a compost heap up and running but would like to improve the soil structure before next season.

B&q do a 125 litre bag of 'verve' compost for £6. I'm wondering if it would be worth buying a few bags (1 per bed) and working it into the soil as a quick start soil improver.

Any opinions?

TIA

Adri.

[sunshineband]

This works well on the whole. It never goes as far as you think it will though.

 

[goodtogrow]

Don't do it.  It won't come close to what you already know, at the rate you have in mind, so get your heap up and in the meantime dig in some fallen leaves, or any garbage you can lay your hands on....

[gavinjconway]

Adri you will need 4 bags in each to raise the level by 6"... not worth it and the compost to my view is just milled bark and peat!! looks terrible. I mix it with soil and other home made compost all sieved and the junk that remains from the B&Q stuff is ridiculous!!

Rather get manure or horse muck/bedding and dig it in. It will do far more good for you.

[JayG]

Yes, do it! 
 
Verve compost is quite possibly not the best, but I'm not sure anyone knows which brand consistently is these days - any sort of compost will improve a clay soil and is so much better than nothing (your own compost can come later.  )

[grinling]

can you source horse manure. try wants on freecycle/preloved/gumtree as well as looking there and local papers and stables.
I filled a massive pond in with the stuff and grew squash this year.

[goodtogrow]

At £6 a pop???  It's nearly Christmas.  Charities could use your £6's better...

[adri123]

@goodtogrow no offence but my charitable giving is done monthly by direct debit.  Not that I have much to give anyway...

Going to go half and half on the opinions expressed. Half a bag per bed (£3) and dig in some leaves as there's plenty of them near the site.  Would have preferred leaf mould but I suppose the dead leaves will get partly broken down over the winter.

Adri

[Eblana]

Hi, I have used this compost in half my beds (like you my own heap wasn't ready for use and the only farm yard manure I could get was too fresh).  I used two bags per bed.  It worked very well for the soil structure and the beds it was put into has really lovely crumbly soil in them now.  I don't think it did much for the nutrient content of the beds but I just put some growmore on them to overcome this.  I bought mine during one of their discount weekends and got 20% off which meant it cost me less than a fiver a bag.  I am thinking of getting more to use on the other beds as the soil structure in these isn't near as good.

[mumofstig]

Yes, it does improve the soil structure, if no compost or manure is available - just use it this year while you are waiting for your own compost.
B & Q usually have a 3 for 2 offer on 

It works out a bit more expensive but they also sell this which would be better.........
http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garden-care-watering/compost-sand-bark/specialist_compost/Verve-Farmyard-Manure-50L-11907567?skuId=12418273

[JayG]

I was quite lucky with the Verve MP compost this year - 3 125L bags of decent-looking compost with only the odd small piece of plastic and whatnot. It seemed to "perform" no worse than many and better than some others in recent years. How consistent the quality is from batch to batch I have no way of knowing.

At £5.98 a pop (less 10% if you are over 60, have a card, and buy on Wednesday) that's pretty cheap for twice the amount of "standard" bags, although you would be well advised to wear a truss when lifting them! 

[BabbyAnn]

My plot is heavy clay and I have to put all sorts in the beds to improve the soil.  I found digging in bags of builders sharp sand along with the compost helped.  Also, I have a greenhouse at home and use growbags and a lot of potted plants so when it is spent, I bag up the used stuff (roots and all - they won't survive winter) and put that straight into the beds at the allotment.  My beds are a lot more narrow (about 3 feet which is more comfortable for me), so I know most beds generally get 2 rows of whatever I'm growing ... if I'm getting short of stuff like compost or manure, I dig trenches along the proposed planting row and bury used compost, kitchen waste (except potato peelings) and leaf litter and cover over until spring when I'll fork it over.  Another very useful thing is green manure - last year I grew mustard in a few beds and hungarian rye.  The mustard didn't survive the winter too well, but the rye was fine - all I did was turn clods over in late spring and used a spade/hoe to break up the soil and any new growth and let it rot down.  I was very pleased with the outcome.

[Casey76]

When I created my raised beds a few years ago I bought as many bags as I could fit in my car of the cheapest "compost" I could find.  It was the bizzarest stuff I have ever seen, and not something I would want to plant directly into, or even pot onto, but as a soil improver for my heavy clay it did wonders.

I think I used about 3 70L bags per 6' x 3' bed well mixed in to the native soil, and then I topped it off with a more normal (and expensive) compost. (the beds were a foot high).

Although this was a few years ago, and I've since removed the beds, the ground where the beds were remains in much better condition, structurally speaking, than the other half of the veggie patch.

[savbo]

The local council often has bulk loads of composted green waste - in manchester we have Fairfield Composting and I understand Viridor Waste is also starting to supply bulk loads. This could be the best way to go for bulking up your beds

[Fairy Plotmother]

Beginning of May is National Compost Week. My council (and neighbouring councils) dump tons of steaming compost for people to go and help themselves. We go along every year with as many strong bags as we can manage. It makes good soil conditioner and costs us nothing but a morning (or twos)work.