Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: Garden Manager on April 21, 2014, 11:10:07
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I like J Arthur Bowers Multipurpose Compost for everything except ericaceous plants (use any ericaceous compost) and fine/tender seeds, for which i use Westland John Innes Seed compost.
Had a bit of a problem this year when i decided to get some different MP compost for my bought plugs and homegrown young plants. Growth very poor and seed germination patchy. The plug plants hardly moved for nearly a month despite warm conditions and plently of moisture. I had to give up (on the compost not the plants) and buy some of my usual compost, in hope of salvaging the situation. All the plug plants were repotted (some hadnt grown any new roots since originaly potted up) and my poor spindly tomatoes (pricked out into the dodgy compost) were potted up. Nothing to be done about failed seed sowings except sow another batch when i get the time.
The dodgy compost? 'Country Garden' own brand from SCATS countrystores. Ok for containers and large plants, but apparently hopeless for seed sowing and baby plants.
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Not brilliant but I've stuck with Verve from B&Q mainly because it's the nearest and easiest place for me to get to. I don't think they put much fertilizer in it as seedlings and plants soon run out of omph also it can be a tad difficult to water once the surface becomes dry. My local B&Q doesn't seem to stock many other brands of compost which is a shame.
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I use mainly clover and my own made 'concoctions'. Last few years all the 'cheap' brands have truly lived to their cheap-reputation, so I have not really used them that much anymore..sometimes only to bulk up my own mixes.
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I have bought J Arthur Bowers Multi-purpose Compost this year & been very disappointed, large lumps of uncomposted stuff & lots of fibrous bits like roots. Had to sieve it to use. Need to change to something else. Always used Westland in the past & was never disappointed. :happy10:
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I use Clover for everything, including seed sowing.
I do sieve it first and also add some vermiculite. I've always
had good results with it.
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Ive bought b&q verve before but don't like it, to many woody bits and not enough actual compost. Don't really know what else to use though.
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Almost all the composts now are going peat free or peat reduced and it seems some of the contents now are almost rubbish. Some years ago I helped a friend load some small bales of compost that he always used but when I used it I found it next to useless, it is more the way we use it then what it is. I think most of us use too much water.
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Haven't bought compost in five or six years. Not wanting to sound too smug, but surely we can make it as good or better than they can. Went peat free at the same time, and never looked back.
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Wickes Multipurpose 70litre New Formula :
Claims "no green waste"
Readily available, cheap at £4.45 Currently 5 for the price of 4
Always look for "split bags" (BRUISED PALLET STACKS) @ £2 BAG. Rarely much missiing and always need a hole to add water to swell before opening. Plant out /and/ or feed within 4 weeks.
I agree that often too much water added and retained is the greatest cause of failure, Try to soak upfrom the base , drain excess, and never allow to dry out completely.
PS : I await "recipes" for home produced mixtures from my post last year, does n't anybody reckon to have produced the perfect blend!
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I use New Horizon MP - which is made form "recycled renewable resources" whatever that is! I find it pretty decent and mix it down for sowing with coir, sand, old compost and add manure or my own compost for more established plants. Not had a problem with it yet although very occasionally there is a tiny bit of plastic in it.
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PS : I await "recipes" for home produced mixtures from my post last year, does n't anybody reckon to have produced the perfect blend!
Oh, my blends are very 'free style'..
they are not measured by any means and the ingredients are not consistent through out 'batches' neither. Often I go by 'feel'...'those little plants like bit of this and that'....'oh, I've got some of this to use up/spare...I use it up for those...', 'this compost feel quite heavy....I must add some of that..and little bit of this..' , 'those are hungry sort of plants...sprinkle of more fertilizer for their compost concoction..'.
I've got 'bags and bundles' saved, collected, bought and 'borrowed' of different ingredients that I know will come useful 'later on' depending what plants I need to 'house and feed' for.
I'm sure you got the idea... :drunken_smilie:
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Saw some lovely looking compost on a plot and the chap swears by it, turns out to be Durstons so popped and got a bag as I've never seen it before - looks,smells and feels right so in go the runners and we will see.........
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Another vote here for B&Q verve multipurpose - I think we've discussed this before and come up with the idea that this product is locally sourced, because people had very different experiences. I've never found woody bits, or plastic remnants, or other nasties that people have reported - I use it for seeds, cuttings, houseplants, tomaotes, the lot, and am very pleased with it.
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Anyone had really bad results across the board and found the compost to blame? As a result of my recent compost woes I am busy potting on or repotting as soon as possible (even if the plants don't need it yet), just to get the plants into different compost.
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My standard sowing technique now is to use New Horizons as a base layer so the seeds on that and cover with a thin layer of John Innes Seed... I get good germination generally with it... very fine seed will get an underlayer of JI too.... do ahve a bale of Verve in the van to take out today mostly cos I thought I was going to run out in the week (adn then didn't.... for potting on I generally mix 2 parts council greenwaste compost with 1 part of my rather gravelly top soil, add some manure pellets and BFB and go from there...
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I like Humax compost 3x70 litres for £12.55. but the only place I can find it is at our Society hut some miles away. Don't think I have ever found it on general sale. Does anyone else like this compost or indeed have you heard of it? We bought seed compsot this year from Aldi and absolutly none of the seeds sown have shown their heads. The same happened with another seed compost last year. Our allotment hut buys Murphys but I am not keen on this. Clover has given good results so that is my second choice.
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Jean..our allotment shop has Humax John Innes no 1 compost..soil based stuff...I didn't know they did do others.
I'll have a look from our supplier, but I've never seen it in 'normal' shops.
edit to add.. yep..Humax, they do it.. http://www.gro-welldirect.co.uk/growing-media/multi-purpose-compost/
The reason you don't find it else where is because it is commercial/professional compost range!
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Thanks Goodlife I have emailed for their price list. Could make a lot of plot holders happy if our shop can agree to sell this. Nothing more disappointing than planting your seeds and nothing coming up, well perhaps crops being wiped out by slugs :sad10:
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We are trying Petersfield peat free this year, it is what RHS sell and another site secretary suggested we share pallet to try. I've not used it yet as was finishing off the Vital Earth Peat free we had before.
I have bought Clover peat based as well, I would like to use peat free all the time but have not found one that is as good, so members just buy it from the garden centre, so following recomendation on here I bought clover professional last year.
I use clover for seed sowing and mix peat free and clover pot and bedding for potting on, then peatfree for the big tubs with the tomatoes in that way the plants seem to do well and I do not feel guilty.
(ps I know all the stuff about burning peat etc but I like to do my best! :glasses9: )
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Does anyone know what this year's Which trials have come up with? Just opened my first bag of Verve peat-free this morning and it looks quite "woolly".
The guy on Beechgrove garden a couple of weeks ago said he's found a good one, but because it was BBC obviously didn't name the brand. Did anyone recognise the bag? :happy7:
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I just bought 3 bags of J Arthur Bowers today for £12. Looks pretty good so far.
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I have used the Petersfield peat free now and opening it I could not tell any difference between that and peat based!
If anything it was finer but is still more "solid" looking at it I have high hopes as it looks brilliant. I will let you know how it performs and am also going to try it for seed sowing as up to now I've had a peat based so will do a scientific trial!
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I was talking to someone in Poole the other day and relating my compost woes and he recommended mpc from inxcess (sp?) Garden centres. Don't have one near me so can't really take up the recommendation. Anyone else know of these garden centres and tried the compost?
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Jack's Magic or Levington M3.
Digmore. :wave:
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Levingtons M3 for my show veg - Verve for the rest.
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verve growbag for everything as I'm a sucker for which trial results.