[Ian_A]

i use homebase own brand always - getting their largest bags. I never bother seiving it, nothing I have sown in it over the years has had problems

[mumofstig]

my seeds are germinating in Homebase compost ok  but it really does settle a lot, once you've watered it a few times, down to half module level in some cases.
So I'm not impressed ...back to Wickes for me

[Daz26]

Wickes compost is excellent. Great stuff to use and none of that irritating twiggy stuff. The quality of the bags is good too. They don`t split in the boot of your car easily.

[midwayashmo]

Levington Multi Purpose 3 x 60ltr for a tenner

Really good quality this year, better than last. I ve alway brought this as it is a good all rounder for flowers and veg.

[Muffin58]

Levington Multi Purpose 3 x 60ltr for a tenner

Really good quality this year, better than last. I ve alway brought this as it is a good all rounder for flowers and veg.

I used Levington MP last year, getting 3 x 60 ltr for £12. Wish I'd done the same this year, but we needed so much more, we bought something cheaper, in bulk. Now, with plants dying all over the place, I wish I hadn't. I've e-mailed the company that manufactured & delivered it, telling them how dissatisfied I am. I've had a brief response, acknowledging my e-mail, and expect further input later. I just hope they have a guru on staff who can help me figure out what to do with my raised beds that are already filled with this stuff!

[Jamie Butterworth]

Wickes compost is excellent. Great stuff to use and none of that irritating twiggy stuff. The quality of the bags is good too. They don`t split in the boot of your car easily.

Coudlnt agree more 

[Muffin58]

Wickes compost is excellent. Great stuff to use and none of that irritating twiggy stuff. The quality of the bags is good too. They don`t split in the boot of your car easily.

Coudlnt agree more 

I'll have to look into that. How are their prices? Wickes wasn't reviewed in the Which compost trials, unfortunately, but the word of experienced gardeners is enough for this rookie!! Thank you so much!

[Jamie Butterworth]

Wickes compost is excellent. Great stuff to use and none of that irritating twiggy stuff. The quality of the bags is good too. They don`t split in the boot of your car easily.

Coudlnt agree more 

I'll have to look into that. How are their prices? Wickes wasn't reviewed in the Which compost trials, unfortunately, but the word of experienced gardeners is enough for this rookie!! Thank you so much!

If i remember correctly ita 4 70ltr bags for £13

[Chrysalis]

We're just starting a veg patch in our back garden this year, so we knew we'd need lots of manure & compost. We ordered Organic Multi-Purpose Compost (60 bags x 50 litres each) from a company in Wales, along with 40 bags of manure. So far, I'm worried. I have tried planting a few things in the new compost, both in the house and in the polytunnel, and most have died. Is it possible that the compost is too rich for baby plants? Do I need to mix in something to "dilute" it? I'd appreciate any help I could get, because I've got seedlings all over the house, in the polytunnel, and lean-to, and I'm scared to plant them out, for fear I'll lose the whole lot!

I think we bought the same fine and dandy stuff you did, but so far it's been fine.  We have potted up in westland with added JI and are now planting out into welsh compost and topsoil.  All well so far and new seeds up today.  Hope it all settles down soon.  Did the seedlings get too cold as they came up? We had a few frosts last week...

[Muffin58]

We're just starting a veg patch in our back garden this year, so we knew we'd need lots of manure & compost. We ordered Organic Multi-Purpose Compost (60 bags x 50 litres each) from a company in Wales, along with 40 bags of manure. So far, I'm worried. I have tried planting a few things in the new compost, both in the house and in the polytunnel, and most have died. Is it possible that the compost is too rich for baby plants? Do I need to mix in something to "dilute" it? I'd appreciate any help I could get, because I've got seedlings all over the house, in the polytunnel, and lean-to, and I'm scared to plant them out, for fear I'll lose the whole lot!

I think we bought the same fine and dandy stuff you did, but so far it's been fine.  We have potted up in westland with added JI and are now planting out into welsh compost and topsoil.  All well so far and new seeds up today.  Hope it all settles down soon.  Did the seedlings get too cold as they came up? We had a few frosts last week...

Fine and "dandy," alright. LOL. We didn't get the stuff that's mixed with topsoil. Ours seems to be straight compost. We've been mixing in used compost from pots that we hadn't yet emptied from last year (for once glad we're tardy.) Could be that some seedlings got too cold inside the PT. Hubby keeps telling me I'm too early. But I potted on 12 heads of lettuce in the straight compost, which I put in the house for warmth, and they did badly, and I transplanted strawberries from a trough, where they were established, into the compost, and several have died as well. I think the topsoil makes the difference. Thanks for the feedback. I'll let you know how it comes out.

[Chrysalis]

Ah yes... we had two tonnes (!!) of topsoil mixed with compost and one tonne of compost only, so it all got mixed up well as it went into our huge raised beds... my knees and all my joints are still complaining about carrying it all around the back of the house!!  the plants, however, seem fine...  At least it's not too late to start things again...

[ian.ford]

I usually buy a multi-purpose from Makro in 100litre bags. They are £6.00 each but when their offer is on the price is usually BOGOF. I used it last year and had great results. At the begining of march i bought some from Asda and it is rubbish and smells really bad when wet. It is very fibrous and i have had to start most things a second time due to nothing taking.

[potatogrower]

I bought 75l Humax compost back in feb and i was a bit disappointed due to the amount of recycled rubbish in it. things such as hard twigs, bark, some sort of mesh, fibre like grass. I can only assume such things will take nutrients out of the compost to decompose further.

Yesterday my dad went to aldi and found growing bags on sale for £1.29. being cheap he bought 2 bags. opened one today and i was amazed. exactly the stuff i was after, very dark black colour, very sandy like and no recycled rubbish in it. bought 4 more today for around £5. think there must be at least 15 to 20 litres compressed in each.

hoping aldi will knock the price down further and i will buy some more. will see what the results are like when sowing seeds in pots.

does anyone think colour of soil/compost makes a huge difference in knowing something will grow?

[Wombat18]

Shamrock peat free multipurpose from Focus.  It's a bit coarse and fibrous in texture and has a slightly odd smell, but seems to drain well and so far all my seeds are thriving.

[Muffin58]

We're just starting a veg patch in our back garden this year, so we knew we'd need lots of manure & compost. We ordered Organic Multi-Purpose Compost (60 bags x 50 litres each) from a company in Wales, along with 40 bags of manure. So far, I'm worried. I have tried planting a few things in the new compost, both in the house and in the polytunnel, and most have died. Is it possible that the compost is too rich for baby plants? Do I need to mix in something to "dilute" it? I'd appreciate any help I could get, because I've got seedlings all over the house, in the polytunnel, and lean-to, and I'm scared to plant them out, for fear I'll lose the whole lot!

I think we bought the same fine and dandy stuff you did, but so far it's been fine.  We have potted up in westland with added JI and are now planting out into welsh compost and topsoil.  All well so far and new seeds up today.  Hope it all settles down soon.  Did the seedlings get too cold as they came up? We had a few frosts last week...

Fine and "dandy," alright. LOL. We didn't get the stuff that's mixed with topsoil. Ours seems to be straight compost. We've been mixing in used compost from pots that we hadn't yet emptied from last year (for once glad we're tardy.) Could be that some seedlings got too cold inside the PT. Hubby keeps telling me I'm too early. But I potted on 12 heads of lettuce in the straight compost, which I put in the house for warmth, and they did badly, and I transplanted strawberries from a trough, where they were established, into the compost, and several have died as well. I think the topsoil makes the difference. Thanks for the feedback. I'll let you know how it comes out.

I am happy to report that Dandy's Topsoil (located in Wales, and found via the internet) have sent one of their managerial staff out to my house, having rung ahead for approval last week, to look at the problems I had identified in my garden. This gentleman was very helpful, and could not understand why we are having the particular problems we're encountering, but is taking steps to help us rectify the problem by bringing us some topsoil & peat (as we didn't want peat free, and it hadn't said the product was peat-free on the web site) and will take away some manure we were concerned about, and credit us for it. I couldn't be happier with their approach to service, and their concern for the needs of their customer and to maintain the good reputation of their products. I can honestly say, I would use them again next year, but would buy a DIFFERENT product, that's a combo of topsoil & organic compost (as opposed to straight organic compost.) Their representative said that he'd used their products successfully the past 2 years in his garden, and had never heard of the problems we'd had. This is typical of us, though....if something bad's gonna happen to somebody, it's gonna be us! LOL (maybe I should use that as my signature line....or "if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!" LOL  Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated!! I'm feeling more like the garden might succeed this year after all!  :happy: