[sclarke624]

I got some compost from "Focus do it all" there own brand.  Gawd its awful stuff.  Good job I had my gloves on....there is glass in it, terracota pot bits, silver foil strands or tinsel sort of stuff, sticks, stones.  Worried about using it now as pot in one pot and it stays very dry compared to others.  Only got it from there because we were passing and needed some, our Haskins garden centre had run out.

[peapod]

Take it back! Thats disgusting!

Or if you cant, take a photo of it (still in the bag and showing the own brand motif) and email their complaints/customer service saying how dangerous it is! Omg thats bad, though I must say that the quality of (peat free) compost Ive found this year has been awful.

I need some more myself, and Im dreading going to buy it......

Paula

[birmancats]

Quite right peapod.  Get straight onto Focus and don't take no for an answer

[poultrygeist]

Send copy of letter to trading standards. Might need to recall their entire range.

Rob

[peapod]

Send copy of letter to trading standards. Might need to recall their entire range.

Rob

Excellent idea Rob, glass is too dangerous to ignore, think of the kiddies planting this summer hols (shudder)

paula

[yorky]

It sounds similar to the stuff I got from a local garden centre. I mentioned it to the owner the next time I was there and he said it was the end product of a council recycling scheme.
It was far too course for seedlings etc. But it seems to be brilliant in large pots and tubs. Not sure if this makes it multipurpose, which it was sold as.

[lincspoacher]

Composts with green waste are being pushed hard by the government, but they dont understand the problem.

The problem is that green waste is totally variable, and one batch can be totally different to the next batch. This is why compost manufacturers are very reluctant to use it, because the end product can be all over the place. You simply cannot make a consistent  product with it.  We have trialled green waste mixes, and gave up. We had all sorts of dodo in it. We also tried play grade bark chip made with recycled timber, thats was a disaster, it was full of splintered wood, bits of concrete, stones........

The bottom line is no matter how much the rest of the planet wants 'green' compost, there is no large and consistent supply of green materials (apart from coir) that can be used.

The most sucessful recycled product we've made so far is playground mulch made from chipped up rubber tyres. At least tyre rubber is pretty consistent.

[Lee1978]

One of our leak growers has had the same bother, he bought a few bails from Focus for his trench and is now wishing he didn't.

[sclarke624]

I think it is local recycled stuff, and I will be making a complaint.  I think also I will start making a list of nice compost and nasty compost, cos when it comes to getting some more I can never remember where I got it or what brand it was.  If I remember rightly I had some B&Q own brand once and that was very poor as well.  which leads me to believe 'garden centre' compost may be the better option.

[compostqueen]

I got some rubbish from B & Q and unfortunately a great ruddy bale of it. Complete dodo!  It wouldn't take up the water. It was very pale looking stuff, not at all like compost. Don't know what it was

Got some good stuff from Wilko, is it Forest Gold range or sommat similar sounding. It was on offer to 3 bags for two, I couldn't carry it so they delivered it for nowt  

[sclarke624]

It wouldn't take up the water

funny you should say that this one stays very dry.

[Swing Swang]

I'm very sorry to hear of your useless compost. I've just had some very good stuff bags delivered from:

http://www.thecompostcentre.co.uk/

They are based in Woking and they deliver free, with discounts for 10 bags or 50 bags (you have to ask for this as it's not on their website).

Ordered some on Monday, they promised it by the weekend, but delivered it the following day. They are very trusting too - if you're not in they still deliver, and post the invoice through the door.

Not as cheap as a tractor load from the local farm/stables, but the natural organic compost makes a great top dressing/mulch and is very easy to handle and spread around (there were some horse flies in it mid you, and I did get bitten).

Swing Swang

PS I have no interest, commercial or otherwise, in the compost centre

[lincspoacher]

It wouldn't take up the water

funny you should say that this one stays very dry.

Thats why commercial composts have wetting agent in. Once you let it dry out it can be very hard to wet up.

You have to realise all composts sold in this country are made in  one of about 8 factories.

Wilko's is made in the same place as B&Q's - you dont think either of those two retailers own a compost plant do you? If the compost from one place is dodo, that because they  have specified what is to go in it based on cost.

The only people that actually make compost  (the significant players) are:

Scotts
Sinclairs
Gem
Levingtons
Bulrush
Erin
Humax
Westland

these people between them  make about 95% of what there is to buy, professional or retail.

[peapod]

then why the difference lincs?

Ive had cr*p from B&Q  this year, and if wilkos is ok(so far), is this the luck of the draw? It doesnt matter that they are all made at the same place, but based on cost,  i cant understand why there is glass in any of them that didnt get past a filtering process.
Surely in this day and age of H&S, this shouldnt happen, or are all these companies rubbish and we cant buy any compost any more?
(im thinking that maybe the 'new weedkiller' is in it too?)
Im really worried about spending my hard earned now....

Paula

[poultrygeist]

When we lived Calne, Wilts, the local tip had a big skip full of council compost which you help yourself to for £1 per bag.

It was excellent stuff, well rotted, with nothing in it that shouldn't be.

Pity more councils don't do this.

rob