[loam ranger]

Hi Cakebaker I would be willing to take some, I am just up the A19 at Peterlee.
Geoff

[solway cropper]

I'm the same as Billathome. Self-sufficient in compost and leaf mould now but I'll buy some B+Q growbags when they're on offer to mix with my home-made stuff. I still have some Westland J.I. seed compost from last year and it was excellent quality.

[thecakebaker]

Hi Cakebaker I would be willing to take some, I am just up the A19 at Peterlee.
Geoff

Thank you for the offer I will let you know in a few days what I will have spare as I do use a lot of compost 

[Kristen]

Hey - what am I missing out on??? Seems everyone is buying compost already! What's everyone sowing that i'm not? I was getting myself ready to do my leeks next month & tommys in March. Tell me your secrets peeps 

Damn! You already have my secrets

You could sow Onions now ... but no rush on the rest, there isn't enough light yet (even if you can provide the heat).

[Colin of Oxford]

I had some grow bags from B&Q last year and at the end of the season I opened them up to put onto the garden and they had big bits of plastic in them.

I am sure that the bagged compost offered by the DIYs is almost all ex-Local Authority recycling so it is not surprising that some plastic was there.
I would be more concerned about the minced club-root and persistent chemicals.  I am sure that the composting process is very well controlled and the material heats up more certainly than home composting, but not everything will be neutralised by even the very best recycling plant.

[rowlandwells]

i read the write up on composts in Which gardening i thought it was a good survey
i was going to try Wicks because i was told that was a good compost 

but it looks like B&Q have come out on top i know i had very poor results from Miracle-grow peat free compost last year  ime sticking to a peat based compost from now on and not recycled peat free compost brands its a definite no no to non peat based tried some other brands last year and they where also like sawdust cheap and nasty 

i always used Arthur Bowers for years  it was a good quality compost but i succumbed to buying the cheaper brands  i see evan Arthur bowers has only scored a 71 in the Which survey so it looks like B&Q or Wicks this year 

[paintedlady]

Last year I bought the Asdas 2 for £6 and I was very happy with it    I wonder if they'll do it this year?  It saved me a trip going to Wickes where I normally got my compost. 

[Colin of Oxford]

Our nearest nurseryman (alas just retired) sold Petersfield Growing Mediums, that he used himself.  I have found them to be excellent - after all if you grow for a living as he did then you take no chances.
Allotment societies who bulk buy for their members might like to look at this range of products.
This is not the Petersfield in the South.  You can read more on the web page at

http://www.peatfreecompost.co.uk/commercial_compost.htm

PS I guessed that the curious icon that looks like a shirt and a bucket might identify a url, and it looks as though it does

[Christine]

I'm of the same opinion that I was last year. You may hit a good batch anywhere and do well whilst another poster will hit a duff batch under the same label.

The downward trend in most composts is due to the pressure of demand. More people are gardening and wanting it cheap. So the cheap end of the market is under pressure to use whatever is available to fill up the sacks.

Now that peat is limited and/or frowned upon the pressure on the provision of compost making is greater. With council cuts all round, there is less leaf sweeping undertaken so that is on less resource available to the makers of compost.

With the charges on garden waste bins a lot of people dispose of their garden waste in questionable ways so that is another amount of resource lost. People dispose of their waste and then go off to buy compost from the garden centre .....

[Colin of Oxford]

West Oxfordshire have taken the enlightened step of removing the charge for collecting garden waste.
Food waste and recyclable material is collected every week and land-fill rubbish and garden waste are collected alternately.
I am unwilling to put compost-able stuff in the bin, but it saves having to have a bonfire once in a while.
I have five plastic compost bins, but they are very full because of the immense amount of turf, and slow-rotting vegetation such as sedge, that was dug up while creating the 'plot'.  I ought to turn them over more frequently but this is quite difficult.
But I am hoping to get some useful compost to dig-in and for top dressing.

[billathome65]

One thing I haven't heard yet is talk about mineral based composts i.e wood ash and the like? I mention these as it is recognised that mineral levels in many foods now have dropped dramatical ( I have my own theory on why that is and will share if asked ) but the main fact of the matter is a good supply of minerals = better health benefits to human beings. Anyone know of any good mineral based Composts?

Bill

[Aunt Sally]

...  it is recognised that mineral levels in many foods now have dropped dramatical ...

Could you provide some more information about this please.  A learned citation would be good !

[billathome65]

Hi AS have PM'd you.

Regards Bill

[thecakebaker]

can i have the info please too

[mumofstig]

look here, veggies on table 9

http://www.mineralresourcesint.co.uk/pdf/Mineral_Depletion_of_Foods_1940_2002.pdf