Soil based compost

Hello mateys

I purchased some John Innes No 3 compost at the weekend, which was far more expensive than the usual GP compost but did appear to hold the water better in the containers than just GP compost.

I know John Innes No 3 is soil based, but is there anything 'special' in it, apart from the nutrients in the JI, which would wear off fairly quickly?

For example, if you made up a mix of topsoil and GP compost, with a suitable plant food (depending on what you're planting), would it have the same effect?

After all, once you've had the plant in there for the first year, the nutrients would presumably have been depleted.

Any thoughts?

 

I think when your buying compost you definitely get what you pay for and John Innes is a well known trusted brand they have probably spent a lot more time researching what to make their soil mixes from than the general purpose brand have (although i dont know the details) If i rememeber right from the last time i bought a bag it says on it quite alot of information it mite have beneficial micro-orginisms added to the soil and be PH stabalisers ect

http://www.johninnes.info/about.htm

That link there is quite good.

 

john innes #3 only has enough nutrients for the 1st 6 weeks .... it says so on the bag

initially, it holds water well, then after a while, it drains well .... it's one of the better potting soils on the UK market, but add some well rotted manure, garden topsoil etc