Best place to get compost and plants from online?

beckstar1975

I used to get from Wilkos but with that gone I need to order a few bags of compost, grobags and some plants (mainly geraniums and tomatoes to cheer the place up).

Where's the best place online that can deliver (am within M25 in London) - I don't drive.

I've heard not good things about the B&Q compost so would rather not them.

Many thanks

Eldi_Dos

Got a couple of bags of Aldi enriched compost at the weekend,at £ 3.99 a bag it was good stuff to work with.

If you can get a helpful minicab driver might be more convenient than waiting in all day for a delivery.

YoungBlueEyes

I've 2 big bags of B+Q compost here, thinking it would be the same as last year. I was wrong. 

twopenny

Tried all sorts and it's not good.

My pots for geraniums I use John Innes no 3, gritty stuff and it seems to hold together the same.

Not cheap.

I get mine from Otter Nurseries. Not nearer you than Hampshire.

But try looking at Nurseries near you and see what they offer. Try Nurseries rather than garden centre for a place that actually likes plants

sammy_kaye18

I order seeds from Thompson and Morgan website. They also sell plants and plugs as well. 

Compost I get from a local greengrocers who delivers locally 56ltrs for £5.95. They also have different plants throughout the year. 

Our local tip also hs their own compost thats made from recycled waste at £3 a bag. 

Also facebook marketplace is starting to get some people offering plants that they have overplanted too so always worth a check on there. 

Blackjack_Davy

twopenny said:

Tried all sorts and it's not good.

None of the peat free composts are that good and i've tried umpteen they don't hold moisture very well if you have them sitting in a tray the bottom can be sopping wet and the part above the waterline can be bone dry it doesn't wick at all. I've yet to find a peat free substitute thats anywhere near as good

As for ordering compost I find Amazon delivered as good as anywhere else saves me the trouble of lugging them around in the back of the car at anyrate

JustGemini

You could try googling for Coir Compost Blocks... I think Amazon do them as well as Coco & Coir.  Apparently excellent stuff.  Could mix with lesser quality compost to add bulk if wanted.

ArbitraryRandom

JustGemini said:

You could try googling for Coir Compost Blocks... I think Amazon do them as well as Coco & Coir.  Apparently excellent stuff.  Could mix with lesser quality compost to add bulk if wanted.

Coir is good stuff for what it is - but it's not compost as such, it's dried sphagnum moss.

It's really good at holding and wicking moisture, but it has no organic nutrients until it itself decomposes (which can take weeks to months to years depending on the conditions). 

If you get some I'd recommend mixing 1:1:1 with soil/compost and perlite (basically use it to replace peat in the 'traditional' potting mix recipes)