Compost woes

Sicard

I used to make my own in the UK. I b ought the bin from a garden store. Anything goes in, mostly peelings, tea bags even leaves but no meat or fish. In a year I had a wormery which I transposed onto the rest of our small garden. It saved on recycling.

kinger101

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81937800#Comment_81937800

My experience with the fertile fibre is it is every bit as good as peat.

I think many many if the composts on sale are actually growing medium. Good organic carbon but not necessarily rich rucin nutrients.

FreeBear

I had a couple of bags of compost (from Lidl I think) a while back. Nothing would grow in it, and I suspect it was riddled with persistent weedkillers. Won't make that mistake again.

John Innes No.1 and No.2 to start the plants off in, and then home made compost from then on.

Used to use compressed coir compost bricks when it was dirt cheap. Good for adding bulk & structure to soil. But prices are way too steep for the stuff now.

grow2026

I would strongly advise against Levingtons Essential Multi-purpose. The brand is now owned by Evergreen.

I raised a complaint as no seeds germinated when using it.

I then planted the other half of the seed packets in another different companies multi-purpose & all of them germinated!

I raised the issue of non-performance with Evergreen as I thought it might be a bad batch.

’’Thank you for the information and images you have provided, they are greatly appreciated. We would also like to thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns with us. We are on a complex journey away from peat and have committed fully to peat free compost. This is because we believe that going peat free is the right thing to do for the environment, and we have spent over 30 years researching and developing our products to get the quality right. One of the main differences between peat based and peat free composts is their appearance and texture. Peat free composts contain a wider variety of materials, resulting in a different look and feel. Some of the key components include:Wood-based materials – these include woodfibre, composted bark, and bark chip. These materials provide excellent drainage properties and allow air to pass through the roots enabling healthier growth and should not be removed from the compost. Coir - is a waste product of the coconut fibre industry put to good use. It has excellent water-retention properties perfect for your plants. Green composts – this material comes from garden waste bins and is collected and composted on a very large scale and have a high nutrient content so are good for your plants. Unfortunately, without images of the original plantings, it is difficult to give specific advice, as several factors must be considered. During March and early April, we experienced some warmer daytime temperatures; however, night time temperatures dropped significantly. These colder conditions can negatively affect seed germination, even on indoor windowsills, which can become quite cold overnight. Many seeds require consistent warmth to germinate successfully. For seeds, plug plants, and cuttings, we recommend using Miracle Gro Peat Free Premium Seeds, Plugs & Young Plants Compost, as the nutrients in multi purpose composts may be too strong and the texture too fibrous for young plants and seeds. If the compost was cold or overly wet, this could also have caused the seeds to rot, preventing successful germination.A useful tip when using peat free or reduced peat composts is that they can appear to dry out quickly due to the presence of wood fibre. However, moisture is often retained lower down in the pot. We recommend checking moisture levels by inserting a finger into the compost, if it feels moist, watering is not required. Over watering, especially for young plants, can result in roots sitting in wet compost, which can hinder growth or cause failure. It is important to note that many factors can influence plant growth. As an experienced gardener, you will appreciate that each season is different, and methods that worked well one year may not always produce the same results the following year. We understand that the results you have experienced this year are disappointing compared to previous seasons. Please be assured that we are continually working to improve and deliver composts and garden care products that meet the needs of all gardeners. I have also attached further information for peat free composts that maybe helpful to you. Kind regardsEvergreen Consumer Care Line 

Final response was :

Thank you for your response it is appreciated. As previously advised many factors must be considered when sowing seed, and without the images of the original plantings it is difficult to advise, however it is  recommended on back of pack for Seed, Cuttings and seedlings to use Levington seed & cutting Compost with John Innes for the best results, as a Multi Purpose Compost the feed can be too high for seeds. 

  We are unable to advise on a competitor compost as we do not know the ingredients within the compost or how the compost was produced. We are sorry that you have been disappointed and unfortunately we are unable to replace or send compost out to you. Kind regardsEvergreen Consumer Care Line

———————-------——————-----

The successful compost was Growsure Multi- Compost from B&M which is a similar price point but had excellent germination rates.

Farway

Welcome to the forum Grow2026

I would strongly advise against Levingtons Essential Multi-purpose. The brand is now owned by Evergreen

I suspected, deep down, even as I bought it from Home Bargains this week it was the wrong choice 🙄, however it was Hobson's Choice at that store. Not opened it yet, and I only need it for potting and growing on and intend adding slow release fertiliser when planting

One fine day, when there is more choice I will get some "good stuff" for seeds

fatbelly

That is the problem with peat free composts. We know what isn't in them but don't know what is. The materials come from many sources and if one source contains weedkiller residue it contaminates the whole batch. I am sure they are sampled to some degree but when you are dealing with millions of litres of 'stuff' you can't guarantee every litre.

For now I am sticking to John Innes and composts that do not claim to be peat free. I was at Trago Mills yesterday and none of their composts make that claim, which I found interesting, comparing them to other retailers.

Dustyevsky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975974#Comment_81975974

Trago has been owned by a 'non-woke' family for as long as I can remember, and that's well over 50 years now. They used to take out whole page ads in the local rag, with pseudo-editorials politely advising politicians where they could stick their rules and 'principles.'