[hubballi]

I bought some gardenline organic grow bags from Aldi but the quality was terrible. More wood and bits of plastic than soil. Also, a lot of bits of glass in there too 

I have now gone on to B+Q grow bags which seem much better.

[Garryac]

I bought some gardenline organic grow bags from Aldi but the quality was terrible. More wood and bits of plastic than soil. Also, a lot of bits of glass in there too 

I have now gone on to B+Q grow bags which seem much better.

yup, I bought some compost and grow bags from Aldi, it was like a bag of bark chips ... and smelled a bit 'sewery'.  won't be getting anymore

[A Reyt Tayty]

I've used B&M multi purpose for my toms. A lot of big stuff in it and it's a devil to keep moist as it doesn't seem to retain water well. The plants seeem happy enough, but it's back to Vitax Q for me next year.

The neighbour has his toms in B&Q peatless grow bags and his plants are pants. Lots of blossom end rot. He always uses B&Q and this is the first time his toms haven't been first class. He blames it on them being peat free.

[mumofstig]

I've used Murphy's, Levington's and B&Q's and also had some Levingtons organic farmyard manure - and none of them have held on to water very well this year 
I'm disappointed with them all 

[surbie100]

I've been using B&Q MPC, and think that I had a duff bag. Some of my seeds - predominantly beans and squash - are distorted, deformed and dying. These are seeds that germinated perfectly well last year.

[Beetroot queen]

I've been using B&Q MPC, and think that I had a duff bag. Some of my seeds - predominantly beans and squash - are distorted, deformed and dying. These are seeds that germinated perfectly well last year.

I had that in the first few batches with lidl stuff, switched to b and q verve and all is great

[Auntiemogs]

Bought some Tunstall compost (I believe it's locally produced) from my local farm shop and never again!  Nothing that I've planted in it has done well, so goodness knows what's in there.  I have one bag left and would normally top up a raised bed with it come winter but I'm afraid that, frugal as I am, it'll be going to the dump. 

[maxie]

Ive had a couple of bags of jacks magic,westlands is it? i like this stuff a nice fine texture ive used it for a few years now and its always been good for veg seeds in cell trays.
I also got some dobbies own stuff with added john innes 3 bags for £12 i think again its been ok a lot coarser than jacks magic but stuff has done well in celltrays in it.
As for the aldi stuff lidl compost is much the same 75% woodchip total dodo as i found out a couple of years ago,i should have took it back for a refund really.

[LilacSandy]

As I have to work alternate Sunday's when our Allotment shop is open I purchased a bag from Aldi as I needed to pot on some peppers etc..  The compost was what I would call 'fluffy' and all the plants stalled with very little growth over the three weeks I had them in.  As soon as I got some more from the lotty shop they started to put on growth again but I lost a lot of time with them stalling so much.

[JimB]

As I needed quite a lot of potting compost to pot on a lot of medium sized perennials to sell (for profit) at the local show and later at our gardening club show, I did not want to use the rubbish which is now sold by almost all companies as potting compost as when it dries out it is difficult to re wet!

I had managed to get some Westland pure peat in 100 lts packs, and riddled soil from the plot from which I had just lifted early potatoes, so I made up my own like John Innes as follows.

7 parts soil
3 parts pure peat
1 part washed river sand (lower sand content as it's high summer)
Added FBB all mixed well together!

And it has worked a treat, pots don't blow over as they are heavier and does not dry out so quickly and water evenly unlike the bought lot!

Only downside did not have any of Monty Dons riddled  Gardeners World leafmould !

Cheers.

[dim]

I looked at all the compost on the weekend at my local garden centre in cambridge .... I live a mile away from Scotsdales garden centre

I needed 1 bag of compost for a client as I needed to repot a shrub into a larger pot ....

Scotsdales have open bags of all the compost that they sell for clients to view before buying

I was shocked at some of the stuff .... it looked like half composted grass clippings from green bins mixed with leylandii hedge clippings....

The best that I could find was Murphys .... £4.99 for a large bag .... looks ok, but suppose time will tell (I mixed in some worm humis (vermicompost) and a bit of good topsoil from the clients's garden)

[Goosegirl]

I have occasionally watched this thread over the last year or so and, for me, Been-and-Queued seems to be a good bet. I got some last year and it was far better than other more well-known brands.

[Godhelm]

I bought Composted Stable Manure from The Compost Centre here: http://www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/smallbags.html

I would recommend it as great value for mulching or soil improvement but it's not a multi-purpose compost and I would not recommend it as a seed or potting compost. Basically, use it for what The Compost Centre recommend it for!

The Compost Centre were quite happy to deliver it to my home and post an invoice through the door - as my wife was at home, she paid the delivery driver but I could gave posted a cheque. Good quick delivery.

[Sparkyrog]

I bought Blackgold from a certain supplier and certainly won't again ! full of clay AND weed seeds 

[JimB]

.
Slightly off subject, I bought two bags of sharp sand from Homebase, I tried to inspect it through the bag but the poly bag was grey!

When I got them home and opened them they were the dross from stone grindings, total dodo, not a sign of sand, and when I mixed some with water and it dried out it was like concrete!

Problem I am 10 miles from a Homebase store so it would cost more than they were worth in petrol to take them back!

It is almost impossible now to find washed river sand around here!