Messed up the compost

Solomon_Broad

Wickes are doing 4 x 80L bags (240L) for £10.

consumermonkey

Just beware, there is compost and compost.

This could be just one big urban myth, but sure I read somewhere that gro-bags are manufactured with one type of use in mind, whereas compost is made for a different use.

madhouseof4

Oh I don't know about that consumermonkey. I bought grow bags as they worked out cheaper and have used them for growing my potaotes, re-potting and sowing all my seedlings and everything is doing just fine.

son_of_god

consumermonkey wrote: »

Just beware, there is compost and compost.

This could be just one big urban myth, but sure I read somewhere that gro-bags are manufactured with one type of use in mind, whereas compost is made for a different use.

Gro-bags generally contain sedge peat, this is darker and tends to have less structure. Does a very good job of holding water but has little in the way of structure. If you are buying this to dig into beds then fine anything is better than nothing, if however you are looking at using it in tubs containers or hanging baskets then your results will be poor.

There is an old saying spend a £1 on the whole and a penny on the plant and you won’t go wrong.

alanobrien

Solomon_Broad wrote: »

Wickes are doing 4 x 80L bags (240L) for £10.

They are indeed but as soon as they put it out around here its gone

The growbag thing works for me, especially when they are 99p each.
I do tend to "improve" them a little with slow release fertilizer though.

Jayar

son_of_god wrote: »

Gro-bags generally contain sedge peat, this is darker and tends to have less structure. Does a very good job of holding water but has little in the way of structure. If you are buying this to dig into beds then fine anything is better than nothing, if however you are looking at using it in tubs containers or hanging baskets then your results will be poor.

There is an old saying spend a £1 on the whole and a penny on the plant and you won’t go wrong.

Well, I can only speak as I find, and this viburnum (about 5 years old now) was planted in a big container using only grow bag compost



Hmmm, tried to post a pic, but it seems to have come out as a link. I may be fair at gardening, but Im afraid computers are a bit of a mystery to me

alanobrien

Jayar wrote: »

Well, I can only speak as I find, and this viburnum (about 5 years old now) was planted in a big container using only grow bag compost



Hmmm, tried to post a pic, but it seems to have come out as a link. I may be fair at gardening, but Im afraid computers are a bit of a mystery to me

Links a bit slow to load but it works fine.
It looks well on it............Is this eskimo ?
Just planted a little one outside the front door.

Tiby

I have just read about grow bags being cheaper than multipurpose compost. Will the plants be ok if I use growbag compost for all my hanging baskets and containers?

adouglasmhor

they are actualy very good for this as they have feed already in the compost.

son_of_god

Tiby wrote: »

I have just read about grow bags being cheaper than multipurpose compost. Will the plants be ok if I use growbag compost for all my hanging baskets and containers?

As I have said in another post, depends on the quality of gro-bag cheap gro bags are filled with sedge peat, dark in colour little structure and very little nutrient.

You are asking a lot from a hanging basket to flower for a long time to often survive with out water or food. Investment at the compost stage will reward you with better results. Why skimp when you have either raised all the plants from seed with a lot of effort or spent a fortune buying good plants.

If you only have a few baskets to do buy a specific tub and basket compost this contains nutrients and more importantly water retaining agents to help with keeping the compost wet. If you have lots buy your normal 4 for £10 multi purpose and buy the water retaining gel and slow release food.