Cheap Compost Where and how much discussion thread

gt568

Teacher2301 wrote: »

Do you know anyone with horses? My father-in-law rents a field out and he has lots of free manure...you're welcome to it!

Sorry to be cheeky, but is this a genuine offer? I notice you are in Wilts,are you anywhere near Lyneham perhaps?

Teacher2301

gt568 wrote: »

Sorry to be cheeky, but is this a genuine offer? I notice you are in Wilts,are you anywhere near Lyneham perhaps?

Yep - down the road in Calne

~jules~_3

Thanks peter_the_piper I did not know this, how can I make my compost better.

~jules~_3

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

when I potted on some other plants using the stuff, they all got yellow patches on their leaves :eek:

I think this must be why some of my seedlings are going yellow then, what should I do... start again?

V_Chic_Chick

~jules~ wrote: »

I think this must be why some of my seedlings are going yellow then, what should I do... start again?

Allmy established plants which got uellow patches on the leaves survived and duly cropped, but I think some of the seedlings might have survived. You've got nothing to lose by keeping them.

Davesnave

Compost is more complex than many people think. Washed-out, knackered compost is probably behind a lot of gardening failures, so Farway is right; don't buy old stuff. Whatever you use, don't expect it to work for a whole season either, unless you incorporate slow release fertilizer or feed regularly. (see below)

You don't get the best results by just buying a bag in the local garden centre and expecting it to be perfect for everything. Oh, I know they'll say it is on the bag, but treat that like you would any other sales pitch. Some composts I've tried - Homebase Economy for instance- are truly awful, so shop around.

Green waste is fine as an additive, but a compost based largely upon that might not have enough nutrients and it is very 'heavy,' leading to waterlogging used on its own. This was certainly true with Wiltshire Council's stuff when I experimented. I wouldn't have put seedlings into it 'neat.' When I used it, I kept it to around 20% of the mix, though I also tried dahlias at 50% and they didn't seem to mind.

Having made compost semi-commercially for years, I normally use B&Qs 150 litre bags as a base, then mix in around 20 litres of very sharp sand, plus variable amounts of sterilised topsoil, depending on the amount of 'body' I want - say about 15 litres on average. The topsoil not only improves water retention, but also acts as a 'buffer' if too much fertilizer is present. Exact amounts of these constituents are not crucial; play around until you get a mix that feels 'right' to you. When I'm doing seeds, I try to make the compost more open & light, but I still keep some soil in it because peat on its own can go sour. I find Bowland Stone make an ideal sharp grit to incorporate in seed mixes and for covering seeds.

The above contains the fertilizer in B&Qs original mix, which is fine to start seedlings off etc, but it won't last. As most of my plants in pots are larger perennials, I add Osmacote 8-9 month granules, but any slow release product should do if you intend to grow plants in tubs for a whole season. You may still want to feed a little extra with greedy things like tomatoes, but that is where the horse muck comes in, if you can get it! Tomatoes, and other crops as well, always seem to taste better with some real muck down at their roots. By the way, that's where I try to keep manure, way down, as it is always full of grass & weed seed. Comfrey water, if you can stand the pong, is another winner with tomatoes, and of course it's free.

My mix has grit added to it for alpines or other plants that need sharp drainage. Coarse grit on its own at the base of the pot is useful in that context too. I find B&Q and Wickes have reasonably cheap bags of Romsey type grit/gravel, but the finer stuff from Bowland mentioned above is good for smaller, delicate plants.

That's about it really. It may seem like a lot of faffing around, but if you think about it, compost is a vital part of the plant's environment; just as important as the weather. The OP wanted 'cheap' compost. So does everyone, but not at the expense of performance. Total for the mix I'm describing would be around £10, but you'd have around 185 litres, which is....er....around 5.5p per litre before the Osmacote or your chosen type of feed.

peter_the_piper

I agree with what Davesnave says except I don't use loam or topsoil added only because my potting machine gums up when used with soil. I always add Celcoat to help water retention as well as Osmacote and an anti vineweevil chemical.

squiggle37

Hiya just been to tesco bought 2 bags of 20ltr compost its on offer for £1 proper price is £1.97 noticed on my receipt they scanned at 80p each.
Hope that helps someone.
Ange

ormus

im no gardener:

so where do i get the cheapest compost please?
aldi or asda perhaps?
im doing about 4 large window boxes (maybe 6). so i need a very big bag.

also what plants/flowers are best for small, north facing, front garden?

olly300

First work out what you are going to plant. If you google "north facing gardens" you will get links to sites that will list suitable plants.

Then work out if they need special soil. Some plants grow in poor soil and will do fine in top soil others do better if you get compost with moisture retaining properties. There as again others will be happy with any type of compost.

Lidl sell bags of 40 litres of multi-purpose compost for £1.99. The DIY stores all sell different types of compost at different volumes i.e 40 or 80 litres for £10.