Best supplier of compost 2025

I think with things like bedding plants and hanging baskets after a while you get to know when the mix kind of feels right.

Any shortage of fertiliser is easily remedied with liquid feeding.

 

Last year I tried composting a mixture of just paper from the shredder, green ferns - I have loads that grow like weeds and stinging nettles. I looked at it yesterday, not expecting much and was pleasantly surprised, it is really quite nice, see the picture. That is just seived through my hands so after passing through a 1cm seive would mix quite well with the multipurpose I bought. I got a sack full. This summer I shall do more.
The multipurpose was Gromoor from a local nursery at £7.50 for 60l. Haven't tried it before but it looks good, we'll see how the plants do in it.

Regarding JI composts: The original recipe used loam made by stacking turves upside down in a square heap and letting them rot. The resulting composts were then steam sterilized to prevent diseases and seeds germinating. If you go on the RHS site you can find the recipe if you have room to make it yourself!

 

There you go that is lovely compost you made, Baalmaiden. The big parts (woody bits) just pop back in the compost, if you can break it down with secateurs the better, this is what I do with my hot composter.

I am making leaf mould in old compost bags, with holes in the bottom, I heard this works after a year? I also have 2 very big compost bags with general compost in it, will this break down?

 

You may need to be patient and allow your bagged leaves 2 seasons depending upon their type. If you can shred them (perhaps with a rotary mower ) this helps! Also shake the bags around or sieve/re- bag to expedite

 

Our leaves compost down much more quickly if they’ve been shredded by the mower. Ready the next Spring/summer rather than a year. We also add some if the shredded leaves to the compost bins

 

Thinking of putting the strimmer in the leaf cage and seeing if that works, could be an inspired idea or complete disaster!

 

I think I’ll watch from behind a cushion!

 

!! DANGER
Be cautious of using in a potentially damp situation; electric strimmers are not earthed and meet only nominal insulation standards (probably IP20).!!

 

Ohhh!!! My strimmer is a Stihl battery electric so not attached to the mains, the battery is built in the strimmer, would it blow the strimmer if used in damp leaves do you think @infradig ?

 

Well that's a relief !
Unlikely to do you harm, cannot be so sure about the motor.
"Its the voltage that shocks but the current that kills"

 

I bought Jacks Magic last year and it was ok I bought the new version a few of weeks ago & it’s awful it’s full of sticks and what looks like clumps of clay and stones! I’ve sown seeds but hardly anything has germinated yet, ok so maybe still a little early but I’ve gone on the instructions on the seed packets just hope something starts growing soon!

 

@Millie16 , I'm afraid this is all too common Which do trials almost every year, one year something can be a best buy, the next it's changed completely.
I think it's been said previously but worth repeating, the expert advice is to always sieve multipurpose compost and if you have it add a bit of sharp sand, for seed sowing. The days of just using a product straight out of the bag for every purpose seems to be over .

 

Don 't the UK outlets sell specific seed-sowing compost any more? There's a fighting chance that it has been more finely sieved and sand or perlite added.

 

You can still get seed compost but I can't remember ever buying a bag myself.

 

Pete is quite correct, there's several brands available, indeed Melcourt (who make Sylvagrow) are brining out a specific seed formulation, because they no longer reccomend their MPC, for seeds.
The problem for a lot of people, especially with limited space, is they have got used to just buying one product and using it for everything. They simply don't have space for bags of grit, sand, soil, etc. or they don't want to "mess about " with multiple products.