Has tomorite grow bag mixture changed?...

Ganga

Dustyevsky said:

About 18 years ago, I recall thinking I'd found a way to increase profits from our small nursery. At that time, composted waste was in its early stages, and the local recycling centre was almost giving away its output. A couple of quid would buy an 8' x 4' trailer load.

Sadly, although the compost looked OK, I soon found it wasn't possible to grow plants in it 'neat.' With more than about 20- 25% in a mix, problems with growth occurred. It was stodgy and couldn't form the main ingredient in any of the mixes for the various types of plants.

We should have come a long way since those primitive experiments in the noughties. On the big business side of things, plants in their millions are still produced annually under highly controlled conditions. Fine, but for small nurseries and home gardeners, whose conditions and weather are not so controlled, there's a growing feeling we're being taken for a ride on the eco-wagon. ....And we'll be told it's for our own good!

Postscript. My toms are much the same as usual this year, but they're in a mix of garden soil, well composted manure and Levington (which is coarse, but seems OK otherwise) and they're fed weekly.

We pay to get our brown bin ( garden waste ) emptied by the local council ,they then compost it and sell it to some companies who include it in their Peat Free Compost and sell it back to us 
I tend to use top soil mixed with bagged manure ( i do not have access to anything else ) and some compost,must work as my plants are all doing ok ,well most plants,my radishes i planted in a container all sprouted up but then decided to stand still no idea why.

Working_Mum

Our local council (up North) gives away bags of compost that it has made each year. They take away our garden and food waste in brown bins and then compost them. The giveaways are quite well publicised but this year they were so popular that there were queues of cars at the venues and people were leaving empty handed - even though you are restricted to two bags each - literally trailer loads of compost gone in a matter of minutes. 

I think it's a good initiative and it's great to be part of that virtuous circle each week as I take my brown bin out.

Ganga

Working_Mum said:

Our local council (up North) gives away bags of compost that it has made each year. They take away our garden and food waste in brown bins and then compost them. The giveaways are quite well publicised but this year they were so popular that there were queues of cars at the venues and people were leaving empty handed - even though you are restricted to two bags each - literally trailer loads of compost gone in a matter of minutes. 

I think it's a good initiative and it's great to be part of that virtuous circle each week as I take my brown bin out.

I live in the North East but our council does not give our recycled compost away but having seen what is appearing in the bags of branded peat free compost i do not know if i would take it even if free.

Working_Mum

Ganga said:

Working_Mum said:

Our local council (up North) gives away bags of compost that it has made each year. They take away our garden and food waste in brown bins and then compost them. The giveaways are quite well publicised but this year they were so popular that there were queues of cars at the venues and people were leaving empty handed - even though you are restricted to two bags each - literally trailer loads of compost gone in a matter of minutes. 

I think it's a good initiative and it's great to be part of that virtuous circle each week as I take my brown bin out.

I live in the North East but our council does not give our recycled compost away but having seen what is appearing in the bags of branded peat free compost i do not know if i would take it even if free.

I've had the same experience over the last couple of years - really coarse and chunky compost. I've had a lot of area to cover so have had to suck it up and just use it! To be fair the compost I received from my Council was great - really fine and well rotted - never thought I'd be getting excited over compost at 57 but there you are