Compost in large quantities

Kiran

Just wondering if anyone knows where you can by compost in large quantities? I've watched and read quite a lot by Charles Dowding and I want to give no dig a try and I have a large area to create. Also the compost used appears to be a mulch compost as opposed to the potting compost mixes that you can buy.


Long trerm I will hopefully have the ability to create my own but for the first couple fo seasons I think I will need to import.


Any help greatfully received.

Davesnave

I obtain tonnes of horse bedding/poo because my nearest neighbour is an equestrian and eventually the pile gets too large!


Maybe you should enquire at local stables. They probably won't want to move it for you, but they may know someone who can. The rest is down to access.


Either way, you may well have to wait a year or two for it to rot down, depending on how fresh it is.

Kiran

Thanks Davesnave, there is a livery quite close to me so I dont mind collecting from them, I'll take the wife's car or maybe the the covered trailer if she objects!


Long term I have the space and will have the material to make my own but the additional ingredients will never go to waste.


Is it possible to buy the rough/mulch type compost to get started? Appreciate its not MSE but in the long run what I grow might well prove to me.


Thanks

-taff

Local councils have compost for sale usually for about a pound a bag. Have you any commercial mushrom gorwers in your area? You'll get free mushrooms with the compost
You can also buy online in big quantities to be delivered.

You can use straw to mulch [not hay] also which is quite cheap.
If you can't get hold of compost, dig the sod up, and turn it over, cover with cardboard, wet it, plant through the cardboard, mulch with straw. These will compost down. You can do the same with black plastic, just don't mulch it. Then by next year you should have amassed your own compost, remove the plastic, muclh with compost.

baggins11

I recently bought 2 pallets from CPA horticulture. I loved the horse manure. The mushroom compost was ok but didn't seem as nice (but was cheaper and perfectly acceptable). It worked out around £3 per bag I think delivered. Prices are on the website.

In future I am aiming to source local cheaper but I just needed volumes delivered quick to get started. I also topped up the manure we bought in with leaf mould and organic matter from our little woodland. I put our stuff under the manure I bought in as it was a lot more rustic.

I so far have made 12 beds (1.2m x 3m) and I am hoping to get something planted this week or next.

I bought 2 charles dowding books - veg journal and no dig organic home and garden. I would thoroughly recommend them both. Good luck!

Niv

You can go direct to the manufacturers. I am not going to name names but i work for a company that makes compost and will sell to the public in bulk if you bring your own trailer / arrange transport. May be worth finding out which company is processing the green waste at your local HWRC.

wanjiku

Our local turf company sells compost, soil etc. Do a google search, plenty of companies out there, but look for one local to you re delivery costs.