Author Topic: Rant about the quality of potting compost....... (Read 41007 times)

Deb P · « **on:** April 05, 2009, 16:17:53 »

I bought 3 bags of 'multi purpose' compost from a local garden centre last week, and this week have been busy catching up on sowing and pricking out etc. I didn't buy my usual brand because the garden centre I used to get it from closed before Christmas... :'(. I was seduced into a 'buy 3 for £12' deal, and now sincerely wish I hadn't succumbed.

The quality of the compost is so poor it has caused me to ring the manufacturer and complain. It is a mix of reused materials (I'm guessing Council green waste), shredded bark with a bit of peat (yes I know.... :-\)

The first problem was the smell. it was like sewage, OH turned his nose up after I walked in after a sowing session and shoved me into the shower like a leper. Then there was the bark....now I can forgive the odd lump of wood and twigs, but 8" long near branches is taking the p***. Oh yes, and then there was the glass.....two shards of sharp mirrored glass that I almost cut myself on as I was trying to break the larger bits up into usable pieces..........NOT amused by now. Not to mention the strangely shaped pieces of melted rubber, nylon twine and bits of plastic bag......

So, phone good old customer services, who check the serial number of the pack (no date on manufacture discernable to the customer of course) which states it was made last autumn...so not old stuff then. Then they state it was 'normal' to have bits of glass in the compost as they have no method of extracting it (!), but admits large bits of branch is not right and asks for a sample. The smell? Well, apparently the heavy rains last year meant the composts got very wet and had to be dried out for longer before sale........ in the bags? No wonder it is rock hard and compacted!

So, I have dutifully sent a sample of the smelly stuff with another bag full of bits that came in it, and shall let them look at it........don't hold your breath!

Oh, and if you are wondering what type of compost it is.......it's J Arthur Bowers reduced peat multi purpose compost 70l size.....never again! >:(

Duke Ellington · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2009, 16:40:39 »

Wow you would think that J A Bowers would be good compost!
I have bought some from Lidls and that was really awful ~ full of old bits of wood and and huge twigs but it was £1.99 a bag !!
Well I hope you get some good answers regarding this ~ keep us informed!

Duke

caroline7758 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2009, 16:43:20 »

That's terrible! I would be tempted to contact Trading Standards.

PAULW · « **Reply #3 on:** April 05, 2009, 16:46:39 »

I used J A Bowers multi purpose compost for years and thought it the bee's knee's then like you last year I bought the reduce peat type WHAT A LOAD OF CACK the only way to use it was to try and improve it so I added peat and John Innes and managed to get by with that but I would never buy the stuff again.

louise stella · « **Reply #4 on:** April 05, 2009, 16:58:22 »

I go for Homebase's own brand - usually 3 for a tenner! Works for me!

Louise

manicscousers · « **Reply #5 on:** April 05, 2009, 16:59:44 »

get in touch with trading standards, I did about lidl's compost, see top tips, 'don't buy this compost' for pics , they took it up for me, doesn't matter how much it is, if it's not suitable for purpose, you have a case, as for glass :o
what happens if you cut yourself and it gets septic, you could sue :o ;D

Hyacinth · « **Reply #6 on:** April 05, 2009, 17:02:00 »

Like PaulW, I had similar probs with J.Arthur Bowers reduced peat compost the year before last. Never again!

Tee Gee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2009, 17:18:27 »

I kicked JAB in to touch years ago.

The batch of multi-purpose (Humax) I have this year is a bit on the dry side, but that could be my own doing.

I got it through the grape vine that compost was set to rise by a third this year so I bought it in last year and stored it .

I stored it under cover so that the winter weather would not leach out the ferrtiliser but in doing so it has gone a bit dry.

Can't seem to win can you :(

Just made around 300 litres of home brew potting compost this morning. Cheaper by far under £3 for the lot.

saddad · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2009, 17:32:42 »

I'm addicted to the Homebase multi purpose at the moment, potting up for the plant sale ;D

SMP1704 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2009, 19:09:36 »

I use Levingtons multi purpose - until this year I thought it would good stuff and my plants all thought so as well.

This year I have had to sieve it before use. Now the lumps are not as extreme as Deb's but much worse that ever before

What's happening to our compost? TeeGee is right, it is much more expensive this year.

ACE · « **Reply #10 on:** April 05, 2009, 19:42:04 »

Do you remember all that lovely timber washed up on the south coast beaches? The stuff they guarded with the police to stop us taking away and making good use of it? Well most of it now has been shredded, ground up and turned into compost, they chuck in a few twigs to make it seem like real stuff. That is where the stink comes from.

grannyjanny · « **Reply #11 on:** April 05, 2009, 20:09:09 »

I was surprised how much JAB had gone up in price & down in size so I left a message on here about it. The lovely Manicscousers told me about Mother Earth compost made by Clover. I opened the first bag yesterday & was absolutely delighted with it. It's soft & crumbly without any lumps it has peat in it but it isn't taken from any sites of historical interest. Thanks MS. With delivery it worked out at £3 per 70ltr bag. It was from a company in Bolton.
Janet

redimp · « **Reply #12 on:** April 05, 2009, 20:48:45 »

If JAB have requested a sample then going to trading standards now would be hasty. Only go to trading standards if you are not satisfied with the response you get from JAB after they have received your sample.

PS - JAB do not get council green waste (not from their locality anyway) All the green waste in Lincs goes to two independent composters and then it goes to local farmers - apart from the odd bag that is distributed to people who can collect tokens when dropping off green waste at the local recycling centres.

PPS in my dealings with William Sinclair Holdings (parent company), they have never been less than exemplary so I should expect a satisfactory response in due course. Please keep us informed.

PPPS - some people will never be satisfied with peat free or reduced peat and would much rather destroy the environment than maybe suffer a slight disadvantage - this does not mean that the peat free or reduced peat should not be of sufficiently good quality though. Humax have a bad environmental reputation.

Ninnyscrops. · « **Reply #13 on:** April 05, 2009, 21:08:39 »

All sown and growing peat free with YHS this year and more than happy with it. Tried JAB last year and found too much rubbish too.

http://www.peatfreecompost.com/eMerchantPro/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=4

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1649.jpg

Linda

thifasmom · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2009, 21:19:13 »

i use wickes own brand at 3 for a tenner my only problem is back in 2007 i got three 150L bags for a tenner last year it was 80L for a tenner and this year its 75L a tenner :-\

STEVEB · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2009, 21:23:42 »

a quid for 20 l from tescoos a nd good stuff

lewic · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2009, 21:58:14 »

Tried Wilko 'professional with added John Innes and Organic Gold" (whatever that is!). Keep finding pockets of finely shredded material that looks like it might have once been a Christmas tree. But at least there are no large bits and you can dib your finger into the pot easily (ooer missus).

Wasnt too impressed with Wilko so bought some Gem multipurpose from a garden centre, thinking this would be better quality stuff. Not so. This stuff has random chunks in it, not sure if they are stones or just solidified organic matter, and you cannot dib a hole in it, it is like trying to make a hole in a pot of tissue paper. It looks brown and most of it is minced up small to fool people though.

Have now bought some Levingtons from B&Q, twice the price, havent used it yet though.

BTW if I found glass in my compost and got any hassle over refunds I would be emailing the local paper with some photos of family holding the evidence, and perhaps a toddler with some ketchup on their hand.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2009, 23:34:36 »

I hate using peat, and it's getting to the point where I'm thinking of going back to rolling my own. I used to use JI mixes, but with leafmould instead of peat, sterilised with Jeyes. It's just a matter of getting myself organised.

Deb P · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2009, 23:55:48 »

Interesting replies, thanks. I am waiting to see what the manufacturers say about my sample before anything else. As mentioned by Paul W and hyacinth, I have used other JAB products and not had problems before, but it strikes me that there are a few unsatisfied customers out there at the moment by the sounds of it! Finding the glass was the last straw for me, I was plain lucky it didn't cut me. I'll update you all when I get a reply! ;D

artichoke · « **Reply #19 on:** April 06, 2009, 00:07:15 »

Why are we not using our own compost?

I have one of those messy heaps that looks like rubbish (raspberry prunings, old cabbage stalks etc) until you lift the top layer and find crumbling black delicious soil beneath. Have just done that yet again, and am spreading it thickly everywhere.

OK, it is not sterile, but it is free and plants love it.

News:

Author Topic: Rant about the quality of potting compost....... (Read 41007 times)