Topic: I thought this was a bargain but .......

[theothermarg]

Well OK I know you are suppose to use special seen compost but I'v always got away with muti purpose so I thought the Westland M P C with added John Inns 60lt bags buy 2 get 1 free was a good buy at under £12 but when I opened it I found it looked like a load mashed up straw and even had little bits of
stone in and something that looked like a fluffy seedhead mmm suppose it will be alright for growing tomatoes but will have to go out and spend more for the seeds
marg

[beanqueen]

I bought the same compost and it's brilliant..perfectly suitable for seeds

Hoever the Homebase Multi Purpose which I've used for years for everything including seeds sounds similar to the stuff you had..been told it's been done on the cheap

Apparantly each year these companies opt for the cheapest tender so just cos it was good one year doesnt mean it wil be the next


Odd though that our Westlands are so different

[theothermarg]

Yes it is odd this stuff looks likes it's been raked off a field I just cannot see how I can sow seeds on it
anybody else bought this?
marg

[gaz2000]

i myself purchased this compost,from a garden centre near solihull.and it hasnt affected my sowing if im honest

must say theres a few chunky bits in there,but i just filtered it out for sowing

[grannyjanny]

Marg. If your not happy with it could you take it back. I would also complain to the manufacturer. Several of us on this site last year had problems with JA Bowers. There was glass, stone & plastic in it large stone as well. I got a £10 voucher from them.

[Georgie]

I'd never use multi-purpose compost for seeds because even the cheapest stuff has too many nutriants in it.  Now I'm on my peat-free kick I've found it really hard to find a suitable seed compost so I've followed some guidance I found from Garden Organic and used pure leaf mould.  It's early days but 100% germination rate so far.  :D

G x

[terrier]

I know you'll probably call me daft but, just as an experiment, I sowed tomato seed in damp sawdust. The seed germinated and grew. I pricked the seedlings out and potted them on and they grew into perfectly good plants. On the back of that experiment, I tried it again last year with some Pyranean Lilly seed. Again I had good success with germination and the resulting bulblets are now in pots of MP compost (fingers crossed, I've never got saved lilly seed to germinate before). Has anyone else tried different mediums for germinating seed?? Evidently, grass seed will grow quite happily on teabags :)

[saddad]

Grass seed will grow happily on almost anything... except old lawns!  :-X

[lavenderlux]

If you use multi purpose compost for seed sowing, its best to sieve it first to remove the larger bits (but keep these and use in the bottom of pots later)

[cornykev]

If its crap, take it back, as said complain to the manufacturer and you always get something extra out of them.  ;D ;D ;D

[Larkshall]

Several of us on this site last year had problems with JA Bowers. There was glass, stone & plastic in it large stone as well.

I must have got some of the same batch, bought it (3x60ltr bags £10) a few weeks ago and it is rubbish. I then went to B&Q and bought some of theirs and it was good quality. I told my grandson to use the J A Bowers compost in the containers (for flowers), I won't have it in the greenhouse. I originally bought 3 x 70ltr bags of B&Q for £10, went back and got 3 x 125ltr bales £6.98 each less 10% over 60's discount (Wednesdays) £18.85.

[amphibian]

My B&Q compost looks like it's about 60% shredded pressure treated planks. It will be going back.

[PAULW]

If that is Westlands in the blue bag yes it looks strange but it is excellant stuff, it hold the moisture but it doesn't hold water as some MPC do, you wont get damping off with westlands as it does not remain sodden.

[Deb P]

With my well documented problems with JA Bowers multi purpose composts last year, I won't touch it with a bargepole now!  ::) I'm using B&Q multipurpose with added JI this year as well, bought another 2 bags yesterday, good quality stuff.