[pauladams]

Hi.
I wonder if anyone has had a similar problem. A few months ago I bought some B&Q Peat Free Compost ( i wanted the organic but there was non left). I have planted Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers and Pumpkins in it. Without exception all are looking rather sorry for themselves. I have equivalent plants in other composts and they are doing fine, so it is not the environment.

Anyone else had the same problem and if so how did you deal with it.

[SG6]

If it is normal potting/multipurpose compost then the nutrients in it will be exhausted after 4-6 weeks.

If you have watered the plants (pots) a lot then that will have washed it out even quicker.

I use these composts simply as a material into which to plant, nutrients come from chicken pellets and additional things like composted manure.

Something like JI No3 is better but more expensive.

[Zippy]

The plants you mention in your OP are all hungry plants and most should be planted into a bed as soon as they have filled their pots.

The compost is spent is all - not contaminated. B&Q Peat Free is my main compost. I riddle the larger bits out and it makes great seed compost; larger bits go round my fruit tree or i use them as drainage in the bottom of my larger pots.

[solway cropper]

SG6 is right. What a lot of new growers don't realize is that the compost in growbags or MPC only has enough nutrients for between 4 and 8 weeks depending on brand. Then you have to start feeding.

For container growing I always mix shop bought compost with home-made stuff and a little garden soil with added blood, fish and bone meal. For toms, cukes, etc. I start feeding with a liquid feed once the fruit have formed.

It works for me.

[pauladams]

Hi Thanks for the advice. I realise that nutrients are depleted after a number of weeks, but these plants did not get above 3 inches tall, even though, as I mentioned in my original post I had similar varieties in other containers with different compost that where fine. Just a bit concerned about the quality of the compost

[realfood]

I would agree with pauladams, if the plants did not get above 3 inches then something is wrong with that particular compost. Either there was no fertilizer in it to start with or it could be contaminated with something like clopyralid, but that would most likely show up with distorted leaves on the tomatoes, depending on the concentration. Have you tried feeding with a liquid fertilizer to see if that improves the situation?

[pauladams]

I have tried feeding with liquid feed but nothing has happened. In fact this weekend I have got rid of everything growing in it, got rid of all the compost  and replaced the lot with ndifferent compost and spare plants. Lets see what happens.

[mumofstig]

Oh dear....it is so disheartening when something like this happens

Good luck with the new plants

[savbo]

I too have had some disappointing results with B&Q peatfree, it's very clumpy and woolly this year, and we've lost a number of plants on potting on into it. However, after slow starts with toms and chillies (amongst others) they are doing ok now. I think it's just not a great blend for tender young roots.

Sainsbury's peatfree is more crumbly and has performed much better.

One of the things I used to do with B&Q's old formulation (which I think was produced by Bord na Mona, the Irish peat body!) was riddle it to give a fine grade I mixed with Coir 50:50. But you'd be hard pushed to riddle the new stuff...