Compost woes

Nebbit

There is a place where you can still buy Clover peat based compost by the bag. This is at Maple Cross, near Rickmansworth, Herts, if that is any good to you

dosh37

I ended up buying Westland Gro Sure All Purpose Compost. 3x 50L for £15 from B&M.

Having used some today to repot my over-wintered Pelargoniums, I can report the quality to be pretty good - especially for a peat free compost.

I also bought 3x 60L bags of Clover Multi-Purpose compost (with peat) for £14 from Hunters farm shop near Little Brickhill just off the A5. That's good value for a compost containing peat. I have not yet opened the bags but others report it to be good quality.

Some live Nematodes arrived in the post a couple of days ago (around £8 from from nematodesdirect.co.uk). I intend to use them to drench my saved compost from last year to eliminate the fungus gnat larvae. If it works then I can mix some of the old compost with the new to make it go further. There isn't much goodness remaining in the old stuff but it has added sharp sand so it should help with drainage.

Slinky

Most of the compost we've bought recently has been rubbish. Would using well rotted horse manure be an alternative planting medium? I'm only using it to mix into the soil when planting out.

Farway

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932398#Comment_81932398

It would be superb, well rotted horse manure is the stuff we all crave & used to use when it was more plentiful

In fact no need to mix it, get into the habit of mulching with it and let the worms do the job, chuck it on your rhubarb, dig it into the runner bean trench and watch everything thrive

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932398#Comment_81932398

Provided you know the horses haven't been grazing on land treated with selective weedkiller, such a Grazon. That won't necessarily be neutralised by digestive processes. If you don't know, grow some quick plants, like cress with it. If they grow straight, and not twisted, it's OK.

fatbelly

I used to get the used straw bedding from a stables. There was no doubt some manure in there but it did rot down to rich compost very quickly

dosh37

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81932398#Comment_81932398

You may need to check the pH. Most commercially available compost has a neutral pH (around 7). From what I have read, horse manure is generally alkaline (pH above 8) so not good for plants that prefer acid soils such as Rhododendron, Azaleas, Magnolias etc. Some of the information I have read online regarding horse manure pH is misleading. You can adjust the pH with additives. If in doubt, it may be worth buying a soil pH tester.

The other issue with horse manure and homemade compost is that it can contain weeds and pests. Ideally the temperature in the compost heap should be high enough to kill weeds and pests but that's not always the case. Straw, grass cuttings and urine helps increase the temperature during composting.

Gronk

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81926548#Comment_81926548

I swear by Levingtons with John Inness, but I always cut it with Horticultural grit which keeps it from getting a soggy bottom.

ADM1996

interesting comments. Which Gardening have done a good report, with FertileFibre (£28) their top recommendation. There are others in their top 5. You can buy nematodes for fungus gnats. I agree, really annoying but relatively harmless, except to seedlings.

darkangelllll

You’re not imagining it, peat-free compost can be really inconsistent, especially for seeds and cuttings. A lot of it comes down to how stable the mix is and whether it’s been properly matured. For sowing, I’d avoid general-purpose entirely and go for a dedicated seed compost, even if it’s peat-free, then mix in something like perlite or vermiculite to improve structure. For pots, I’ve had better results blending my own using a base compost with added bark fines and grit so it drains properly. Fungus gnats are often a sign it’s staying too wet, so airflow and letting the surface dry helps a lot.