Jack's Magic absolutely soaking wet

Daughter has just arrived home with the composts I asked her to get from Wickes, 4 x Wickes MPC and 4 x Jack's Magic.
The Wickes MPC is fine, the Jack's Magic bags are very dirty and soaking wet/very heavy. I wouldn't have bought them but Daughter wasn't to know. Surely the bags shouldn't be quite so wet or am I being fussy? I presume they will be ok? but will need to dry out quite a bit before I can use the contents as not planning to be potting up aquatics!

 

Yeah have come across this problem.
Often a sign the stuff has been hanging around outside all winter.

I find it still works ok but drying it out is a problem, you need to take it out the bags and spread it a couple of inches thick on something like a garage floor for about a week.

 

Compost bags have small perforations and fill with water if left in the open after removing the plastic stretch wrap enclosing the stack of bags on the pallet. Wet compost is instantly recognizeable from the increased weight as soon as you go to put it in your trolley

My 8 bags of Jacks Magic from MK Wickes were all dry. I would still have bought it if wet because it's for tomato plants and large seeds like peas, beans, squashes, sunflowers, etc.. For small seeds I use Westland seed compost, but only from where it's been kept dry under cover or from freshly started pallets.

 

Rain obviously but composts do soak up moisture from the atmosphere. Fresh supplies in B & M but still very wet. Not easy to dry them out so I will look elsewhere for dryer bags.
Difficult to avoid wet compost but its not great for potting on or planting up.

 

I find if it is still on the pallet it is usually not soaked, unless you take the top bags after heavy rain.
Always worth shifting the top bags and going underneath.

 

Thanks all. I won't be using JM for seed sowing either as have seed compost which doesn't need wringing out. I've had wettish bags before but not like these ones. It took both of us to carry each bag they were so heavy while the Wicks compost I could carry easily...it's probably bone dry and will be difficult to get wet! I'm going to split open the JM bags in my greenhouse and hopefully get the water content to reduce over the next couple of weeks.

 

I also find Wicke s leave their composts outside unprotected. I went down 4 layers until i found dryish compost. There was no way i was putting sopping compost into the back of the car.

It really cant be that hard to drape a tarp over pallets of compost when rain threatens just as they fleece tender plants from frosts?

 

You would have thought it wouldn't be beyond the realms of the likes of Wickes or the other big ones to have compost under cover.
Just think they see plants/ gardening as sideline, they just dabble and hope to make a quick buck out of the spring /summer gardener.

 

Lidl have their compost in and the MPC is good stuff. I'll be taking all your advice and making sure they are dry. Perhaps best to ring and see when they get their deliveries to save on having to buy drenched bags that have been out for the week? More rain forecast too.

 

I store my compost in my greenhouse this time of year.
Warms it up and keeps it dry/drys it out.

 

Me too Pushkin.....ditto can of water

 

I have three water barrels outside of my greenhouse that I've connected up together with a hose running into my greenhouse with a tap on the end.
I fill up my watering cans with it and leave them in there to warm up.