Peat free..........

Pixiechic

I called my local garden centre and the offers that they have for New Horizon peat free multi purpose 56 litre bags is

1 x 56 litre bag = £4.99
3 x 56 litre bag = £12.99 (168 litres)
6 x 56 litre bag = £20.00 (336 litres)

So, I had bought 50 litre bag of Verve B and Q compost with John Innes for £3 a bag.

By my calculations, if I bought the 6 bag offer for £20, it would be about £3.30 a bag and taking into account the extra 6 litres in the NH, it works out roughly the same price.

I will only buy one bag to begin with though, just to see what it's like!

D&DD

I trialled New Horizon last year after seeing a trial they did in one of my garden mags.I managed to get it on a deal at Wyevales through their garden club so it didn't work out much more than my usual '3 bags for a tenner' one.

It wasn't as fine a compost as my usual one but not too much difference,held the water well but I was really diappointed with my crops I grew in it last year,both tomatoes and peppers BUT this may have been purely down to the weather we had.

If I can get it at a comparable price again this year I may give it another go as my usual compost has been so bulked up with what looks like sheeps wool this year theres practically no soil in the bags!!

Pixiechic

Okay, I've got my NH compost peat free and organic. As I said earlier, I spoke to the garden centre and they said a 56 litre bag for £4.99. The bag is actually labelled as being 50 litres and was £4.99.

I have opened the bag and dug my hand in and I have to say that I am pleasently surprised. It's really fine and and doesnt have any twigs or large lumps in it. It is quite moist compared to other composts, maybe affecting the weight.

Now to try and grow some seeds with it...........

peter_the_piper

My only experience of peat free was a few years ago so it might have improved but unless it has changed an awful lot I would not touch it with a bargepole, (yes I have tried it) It is also a lot dearer than peat/part peat based compost, a few bob extra is not much if you are using a bag or two but if you are using it by the pallet it mounts up. With customers insisting on everything being the same price or less than last year its a no brainer for nurseries.