Topic: where to get large quantities of compost/topsoil from?

[becs]

Hi - first post here so hope I have the right place!  ;D

I am in the process of creating a raised bed and am looking for a large quantity of either topsoil or compost to fill it with.  Can anyone suggest the best place to get topsoil/compost from at a good price (have to admit... the cheaper the better.....  ;) ). I am going to be growing vegetables with my young sons and this includes pumpkins, peas, broad beans, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes,lettuce/salad leaves. radishes, sweetcorn... from their list so far!  ;D ...  if I use manure to part-fill the bed.. will that create problems (bearing in mind it is unlikely to be rotted down sufficiently).

Any suggestions would be gratefully received! :)

Becs

[peterpiper]

i dont know if you live anywhere to linoln. but there is a lincsfreecycle site and i notice today someone giving away topsoil.http://lincoln.freecyclers.org.uk/index.php

peterpiper

[tabbycat]

also have new plot & want raised beds and am asking myself the same question  :-\....
 noticed in Wickes this morning that they had a deal on big 80L bags of compost... i think it was 4 for a tenner but i could be completely wrong (had two small children arguing over who got to carry the string so wasn't concentrating!)

it seems a bit of a cheat just to go out and buy it but i suppose i have to start somewhere.

[Sprout]

For compost you could try your local authority household waste recycling centre. One near where I used to live was selling it for 40p per bag - you had to bring your own bag and fill it yourself.
Unfortunately, the one where I now live doesn't do compost.

[onionhead]

Yeah, like Sprout says, you might try your local council-run household waste tip. There are several in my area (Suffolk) that process their own compost from green waste and sell it very cheaply. Filled my boot for a quid just last week. :)

[SMP1704]

No, you were right, 4 80l bags at Wickes.  I've already had two lots and shall be going back for a 3rd ::)

Then its a trip to the local GC who are doing 4  75l bags of stable manure for £12, think I'll need two lots of that to keep the toms, cu's, sweetcorn, squash all growing happily.

Getting a delivery would be cheaper - quoted £90 for 1tonne bag but for me it's about access and storage.  Check out ebay - search for manure or compost.

[becs]

Thanks everyone.. I am looking into the local council's compost and Wickes offer sounds good... there must be one nearby...  Have a supply of manure now so that is sorted  :)  Did look at ebay too..    all seems so expensive... or is that just me?!

[tabbycat]

thanks for confirming the Wickes price... am off there in a min.

have just been on e-bay... it is a bit pricey.
there seemed to be good deals on mushroom compost. has anybody used it and is it any good?

cheers, tabbycat

[MaryM]

Sorry SMP-what is the local GC?

[Diesel]

Garden Centre?

[lancelotment]

Don't even bother trying the local councils if you live in North Cheshire!!  I've tried Cheshire County, Chester City and Vale Royal (all bin the compost they make from green waste on to farmers fields and don't sell any back to the public) and Halton Council have no provision for selling anything larger then a single bag at a time.  Makes me wonder why they think recycling ends with them! :( Lance

[tabbycat]

Don't even bother trying the local councils if you live in North Cheshire!! 


i live in Woking, Surrey and it's the same here... loads of stuff on their website about where & what to recycle but nothing at all offered back. they just ship it all somewhere esle..it's ridiculous.

they also have a link to site that sells waterbuts.. very topical, but they are REALLY expensive.
if they want people to take saving water seriously they need to do a better deal.

tabbycat

[becs]

Had a reply back from the Bristol recycling group regarding compost:

We have a 30cwt tipper van that holds up to 1.5cu meters of compost aprox 1000kg delivery is a standard charge of £65.00 plus the cost of fuel we leave the site full of diesel and fill it on return then charge out the for the fuel used. The compost is charged out as a donation of £25.00 per cu meter If you are interested in a delivery please e-mail me your address and dates to deliver. The Thornbury site is in the Thornbury Leisure centre car park the tubs hold 30L of compost. The tubs are sold a £5.00 each and can be used as many times as required a donation is asked each time you fill a tub aprox £2.00 per tub full. We have some very good 12mm screened top soil which could be mixed 75% compost and 25% top soil for your raised beds

So for me to get their compost from the "self-serve".. it would be more expensive (I think!) than the Wickes offer.  The lorry delivery would be £65 plus fuel plus £37.50 for the soil........

think I am going to Wickes and get some *free* manure to bulk it out a bit!

Bec

[Dave V]

i dont know if you live anywhere to linoln. but there is a lincsfreecycle site and i notice today someone giving away topsoil.http://lincoln.freecyclers.org.uk/index.php

peterpiper

Heres the wirral version
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclewirral/messages

But I also check on ebay.

[daimurph]

on the question of mushroom compost there's a mushroom farm 1 mile from where i live (bridgend) and they sell off spent compost for 70p a sack I've used loads of it in my garden and it's exelent with the added bonus that you get a crop of mushrooms