[Yana]

I bought B and Q 120L MPC and have to say that on the whole, not bad at all. However, did find several large twiggy bits, plastic bits and two 10cm long what can only be described as 'bones'!! Other than that, crumbly and perfect for seedlings and potting on.

[hubballi]

I bought Aldi organic grow bags for my toms. Having just opened them to pot on toms I must say that there are a lot of sticks and occasional bits of plastic. I have to. Seive it before I use. Mind, it was only just over a quid. Still might be good though so will wait and see.

[crh75]

Sinclair Potting Growing Medium.

£12 for 150l

Peat: 0-5mm 15%, 0-10mm 85%
N 204, P2O5 238, K2O 408 g/m3
pH 6.0

It is dark and peaty and very nice to use.  I don't seem to have a problems with it at all. 

[mumofstig]

You shouldn't have at that price! 

Not many stockist either 
http://www.william-sinclair.co.uk/commercial/ornamentalhorticulture/productstockists

[crh75]

They have it at the nursery down the road from me, which is not on that list.  Maybe thay use it themselves?

I'll get something cheaper before I start getting things into the big pots!

[Beetroot queen]

I am changing my mind on lild's germination rate has been bad, when I fail with runner beans I have to blame something.

Dad gave me some b and q stuff now that is a different matter altogether. 

[Annen]

I got some mpc from B&M called Easigrow (£2 for 40litre bag) and it is very very twiggy.  I fact it looks very like the soil improver I got from the council.  I've put it at the bottom of the pots as the drainage should be good and topped up with not twiggy at all Humax.

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Myne wyfe purchased a 60L bag of MPC from Lidl and it was pretty awful stuff - lots of lumps, sticks and twigs. I'd say a 1/3 of it was rubbish.

The other day I bought two bags of Verve 125L MPC and it's significantly better. It's nice and crumbly, only the odd twiggy bit but even then they are tiny compared to the logs that I found in the Lidl stuff. It's too early for me to tell what the germination is like but so far, it seems excellent value for money.

[waddecar]

Using J Arthur Bowers multi purpose for pricking out and larger seeds with added perlite. For small stuff I have some Clover left over from last year which is not peat free.

Also picked up 5 bags of corp compost from local tip. £1.50 a bag but next week is compost aware week and it is free on Tuesday check your local council for freebies. The compost is very fine and dry would blow away in a strong wind - only good for adding to soil

[Auntiemogs]

I bought Leavington grow bags this year (easier for me to lift).  The compost is quite fibrous and retains water well.  Everything seems to be happy with it, my only concern being the (literally) hundreds of tomato seedlings now popping up everywhere....

[devonbarmygardener]

3 for £10 at local Cornish Garden Centre - just over the Tamar Bridge - Thatchers Super Mix
Super Organic MPC
Very nice textured  black crumbly stuff - doesn't mention any inclusion of peat - really nice, no bits.
Will certainly buy more - states it's good for everything all year long - can believe that!

Levingtons John Innes No.1
Nice, brown crumbly stuff, a little bit bitty, but I've certainly had worse. Very good for first transplanting - of which I have done much today!

[gremlin]

Grandiol.  Multi purpose peat-free 40 l for £1.99 from Liddle

Coarse, bit twiggy, a couple tiny flecks of polythene bag spotted.  Dark and moist. Wouldn't sow seeds in it unless they were as big as broad beans.   I will see how it grows, but I have bought worse quality "peat free" for more money.

[Beetroot queen]

With the rain overnight the only thing the lidl compost grows is mushrooms.  :blink: they seem to do very well unlike everything else. 

[TheWhiteRabbit]

Totally agree on the Lidl compost mushroom phenomena! Seems to have a lot of spores in it...I thought it was just me!!

[Beetroot queen]

Totally agree on the Lidl compost mushroom phenomena! Seems to have a lot of spores in it...I thought it was just me!!

Maybe we know what they do with all the unsold mushrooms