On 21/06/2013 23:11, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Spider" wrote

Broadback wrote:
Spider wrote:
, Judith in England wrote:


I had heard that B&Qs multipurpose compost was this year much improved
compared
to the rubbish last year.

I bought a couple of bags - one of them was OK - the other bag had
bits of
plastic, bits of wood,silver paper, the usual rubbish.

I sent the rubbish back to B&Q.

They phoned up today to follow up my complaint: during the
conversation I was
told that they had only had 5 complaints about that compost this
year!!

I didn't know that they had all written - but I think I know the
other 5
people who were far from happy with the quality.

After I found the rubbish I asked a colleague (who had also
experienced the
poor quality of B&Q compost last year) what he was using this year.
he said
Westland Jack's Magic.

I bought three large bags from Homebase: perfect : just like the
compost we
used to get :-).

(In my letter to B&Q I had suggested that they went round to Homebase
and
bought some of it to test - to see if it met their own exacting
standards :-)





Good for you! That's what we should all be doing.
I shall look out for Jack's Magic and see what I think.

I bought cheep from Aldi, bits of twig in it and the very odd silver
paper, but at the price I am happy. I guess if you want non peat compost
then it is re-cycled stuff, that is fine with me.




Indeed. It's fine with me if I just want a sack or three of
multi-purpose to improve border soil, but most 'from green waste'
compost is too coarse for seed-sowing and even some cuttings. Further,
it all too readily taken on a greenish surface film which caps the
surface of the soil. However, I do use it mixed with an appropriate
John Innes compost for potting up larger cuttings, esp where I want
the soil a bit more open than a straight JI compost.


I've been using Notcutts own multicompost but I sieve it all to take out
the larger bits, this leaves a nice usable compost good enough for seeds
and for mixing with sharp sand, fine bark chips, course bark chips, or
whatever else is needed. What I sieve out, the lumps, I keep for potting
up my Cymbidium orchids.




I don't think I can get Notcutts compost where I am, but the saving of
lumps for Cymbidium orchids is a good idea. I usually just add them to
the bark mulch around shrubs.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay