Compost mixes

Seed.

2 x Leaf Mould.
1 x Garden Compost.
1 x Loam (or garden soil).
1 x Sharp sand.

Pricking out.

1 x Leaf Mould.
1 x Garden Compost.
1 x Loam (or garden soil).
1 x Sharp sand.

Potting.

1 x Leaf Mould.
2 x Garden compost.
1 x Sharp sand.

These are the basic compost mixes I use, adapted/remembered from my Grandfather (a career gardener, all his life).

At the start of the season I make up a couple of plastic dustbins full of the Pricking out mix, mixing it all up in a wheelbarrow first. Then for a seed mix I will use four buckets of this mix and add one of leaf mould. It's all riddled.

The potting mix is used for plants that will stay in pots, containers or baskets all their life and has no loam (garden soil).

I use Loam as it gets the plants used to the soil it will eventually live in. The potting mix has more compost to help feed the plants in their "contained" area.

Sharp sand is for drainage. Leaf mould to hold onto water for longer and it also aerates the mix.

It's not an exact science and these mixes can and will vary a little as I go through the season, for example for heavy feeders such as Courgettes and Pumpkins I'll add well rotted manure to the pricking out mix or FB&B to the mix for Tomatoes. But these are my basic mixes, adjust as you need to.

Steve...

 

Hi Steve
Do you heat treat them before you use any to stop the bugs and weed seeds and fungus spores

Spruce

 

No I dont do that at all, in Spring I make 2 bins full and will probably make another two/three after that. To heat treat those would be a massive task and Spring is busy enough as it is.

Steve...

 

Hi Steve, thanks for an informative post;

I found this link which you might like: John Innes Composts explained

 

Thanks Shiney and alex.

alex, thanks for the link to the John Innes mixes. Just a note on those, I use leaf moulfd to replace the Peat as they both pretty much do the same job (my grandfather used both) but as peat is under pressure I opt for leaf mould, especially as it's free.

Steve...

 

I dont make my own compost

however ....

when planting shrubs (not acid loving ones), I use john innes #3 (40%), 20% topsoil from the planting hole, 20% well rotted farmyard manure (not from a farmer, but those bags bought at garden centres), a handful of blood/bone/fishmeal and 20% perlite ...

lately, I have also used rootgrow

all shrubs seem to like this combo ....initially, the john innes seems a bit heavy (like wet concrete when watering), but after a few days, drainage improves

 

Interesting, never tried mixing in sharp sand before, I will give it a try.

 

Interesting and informative post.

 

Interesting results from this little experiment.

I potted up half my tomato seedlings in Murphy Multi Purpose compost and half in my home made potting compost. I also tried celeriac seedlings in both composts.

The home made compost is a mix of roughly equal proportions of leaf mould, sieved garden compost and sieved garden soil, with a good sprinkling of fish, blood & bone fertilizer thrown into the mix.

In each photo, the plants on the left are in the home made mix, those on the right are in the Murphy compost. Spot the difference.

Gardener's Delight.


Beefmaster.


Celeriac.

 

I shall try this mix this year for all my veg plants. Thank you.

 

Great to see someone expounding the virtues of leaf mould in such an informative and useful way. Being fortunate to have massive trees we are up to our eyeballs every Autumn with leaves. It's hard work but we collect as many as we can and store them for 2 years before use. Sometimes as the likes of Shiney does I use the sit on mower to collect leaves off the grass. Usually a little bit of grass gets cut at the same time. Rather than being a nusiance the grass will sometimes heat and encourages the leaves to compost down faster. I know leaves are meant to compost in a different I think(non heating) way to garden compost but I've found the 95% leaf 5% max grass clippings makes great leaf mould which is ready for use a bit quicker.
Like you said I don't have the time/inclination to heat treat my home made compost. I believe some people use a microwave to heat theirs. Wow I'd be using the ping machine for weeks non stop and hate to think what my electricity bill would be.
I "cheat" and for some things I use my own but the top say 2 inches I use shop bought so the inevitable weeds seeds in my stuff doesn't germinate much. Works for me and it means I don't go through huge amounts of shop bought compost.