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Potting composts
Hello can you help
What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated ...............Leslie |
Potting composts
"Therefore" wrote in message ... Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated ...............Leslie I like the b and q one that is a peat based mixed with John Innes. Used to mix it myself but now I use theirs -- Robert Brimacombe Secretary Rowdens Reservoir Allotments Association www.rraa.moonfruit.com |
Potting composts
Therefore says...
Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated ...............Leslie I buy cheapo multi-purpose compost but mix about 30% of sharp sand into it. If you are unfortunate enough to have any moles, one benefit is the hills which consist of fine soil. This can also be mixed with some sharp sand to give a good potting compost. However, for seeds best to use a reasonable quality compost - some of the cheaper ones tend to go mouldy for some reason which encourages the seedlings to damp off. -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
Potting composts
Therefore writes
Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated It's partly you ;-) All composts will get waterlogged if the drainage is not adequate. Make sure all your containers have drainage holes. All composts will eventually get dry if not watered. But some (the peat based or coir based) are more difficult to get wet again. It helps if you stand your container on a saucer or tray to catch the water that runs straight through - you can then water it and let it stand in the water in the tray for a few hours until the water has been soaked back up. A lot of people prefer to avoid peat based composts on environmental grounds, peat being a rapidly declining habitat. So that leaves loam based composts or peat free ones based on coir or other substances (though I gather there are concerns about coir because of the transportation costs). If you go peat free, soilless, the Arthur Bowers New Horizon has a good reputation. -- Kay |
Potting composts
K wrote:
Therefore writes Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated It's partly you ;-) All composts will get waterlogged if the drainage is not adequate. Make sure all your containers have drainage holes. All composts will eventually get dry if not watered. But some (the peat based or coir based) are more difficult to get wet again. It helps if you stand your container on a saucer or tray to catch the water that runs straight through - you can then water it and let it stand in the water in the tray for a few hours until the water has been soaked back up. A lot of people prefer to avoid peat based composts on environmental grounds, peat being a rapidly declining habitat. So that leaves loam based composts or peat free ones based on coir or other substances (though I gather there are concerns about coir because of the transportation costs). If you go peat free, soilless, the Arthur Bowers New Horizon has a good reputation. I think gen purpose compost is usually too compressed to be used as it comes in the bag. Mixing in sharp sand is probably the easiest way to break it down and make it more uniform. |
Potting composts
On 10 Feb, 18:42, Stuart Noble
wrote: K wrote: Therefore writes Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated It's partly you ;-) All composts will get waterlogged if the drainage is not adequate. Make sure all your containers have drainage holes. All composts will eventually get dry if not watered. But some *(the peat based or coir based) are more difficult to get wet again. It helps if you stand your container on a saucer or tray to catch the water that runs straight through - you can then water it and let it stand in the water in the tray for a few hours until the water has been soaked back up. A lot of people prefer to avoid peat based composts on environmental grounds, peat being a rapidly declining habitat. So that leaves loam based composts or peat free ones based on coir or other substances (though I gather there are concerns about coir because of the transportation costs). If you go peat free, soilless, the Arthur Bowers New Horizon has a good reputation. I think gen purpose compost is usually too compressed to be used as it comes in the bag. Mixing in sharp sand is probably the easiest way *to break it down and make it more uniform.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - B & Q Multipurpous, Seived then add about 10% pearlite (More if you want it for seeds) then you can add some loam if you want, and coars sand or grit. If you are gouin to use mole hill soil then cooking it in the microwave first helps kill off the nasties it contains. David Hill Abacus Nurseries |
Potting composts
On 10 Feb, 21:24, Dave Hill wrote:
On 10 Feb, 18:42, Stuart Noble wrote: K wrote: Therefore writes Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated It's partly you ;-) All composts will get waterlogged if the drainage is not adequate. Make sure all your containers have drainage holes. All composts will eventually get dry if not watered. But some *(the peat based or coir based) are more difficult to get wet again. It helps if you stand your container on a saucer or tray to catch the water that runs straight through - you can then water it and let it stand in the water in the tray for a few hours until the water has been soaked back up. A lot of people prefer to avoid peat based composts on environmental grounds, peat being a rapidly declining habitat. So that leaves loam based composts or peat free ones based on coir or other substances (though I gather there are concerns about coir because of the transportation costs). If you go peat free, soilless, the Arthur Bowers New Horizon has a good reputation. I think gen purpose compost is usually too compressed to be used as it comes in the bag. Mixing in sharp sand is probably the easiest way *to break it down and make it more uniform.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - B & Q Multipurpous, Seived then add about 10% pearlite (More if you want it for seeds) then you can add some loam if you want, and coars sand or grit. If you are gouin to use mole hill soil then cooking it in the microwave first helps kill off the nasties it contains. David Hill Abacus Nurseries- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I should have added that the 150 litr bale is good value esp if bought on a Wed with over 60 discount David Hill Abacus Nurseries |
Potting composts
Dave Hill wrote:
On 10 Feb, 18:42, Stuart Noble wrote: K wrote: Therefore writes Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated It's partly you ;-) All composts will get waterlogged if the drainage is not adequate. Make sure all your containers have drainage holes. All composts will eventually get dry if not watered. But some (the peat based or coir based) are more difficult to get wet again. It helps if you stand your container on a saucer or tray to catch the water that runs straight through - you can then water it and let it stand in the water in the tray for a few hours until the water has been soaked back up. A lot of people prefer to avoid peat based composts on environmental grounds, peat being a rapidly declining habitat. So that leaves loam based composts or peat free ones based on coir or other substances (though I gather there are concerns about coir because of the transportation costs). If you go peat free, soilless, the Arthur Bowers New Horizon has a good reputation. I think gen purpose compost is usually too compressed to be used as it comes in the bag. Mixing in sharp sand is probably the easiest way to break it down and make it more uniform.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - B & Q Multipurpous, Seived then add about 10% pearlite (More if you want it for seeds) then you can add some loam if you want, and coars sand or grit. If you are gouin to use mole hill soil then cooking it in the microwave first helps kill off the nasties it contains. David Hill Abacus Nurseries I can't get on with perlite. I seemed to be forever sweeping it up. Apart from the weight aspect, it doesn't seem to offer any advantage over sand. Probably missing something (again) |
Potting composts
We use a multipurpose, somtimes a plain base diluted home made. The home
made stuff is pretty concentrated. Depending on the plant we'll mix it down with sand/etc to whatevers needed. Therefore wrote: Hello can you help What is the best multipurpose compost that I can buy from the garden shops. I am unable to find anything that does not dry out, or gets waterlogged , is it the composts, or me. all help appreciated ...............Leslie -- Gemini Bioscapes Plants & more on Ebay http://tinyurl.com/hi6g |
Potting composts
On 10 Feb, 16:29, "Robert \(Plymouth\)"
wrote: I like the b and q one that is a peat based mixed with John Innes. Used to mix it myself but now I use theirs I thought we were supposed to be avoiding peat to save the wetlands? http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index....landcampai gn http://www.wildaboutgardens.org/Gard...oPeatFree.aspx http://www.kew.org/ksheets/peat.html B&Q told the world they were going peat-free in a press release in 2001. I am dissapointed to hear they didn't stick to that. |
Potting composts
Martin says...
In the Netherlands there are warnings about the rising number of legionella cases caught by people visiting garden centres I'm intrigued. How do they catch it from garden centres? -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
I wouldnt buy anything from J Arthur Bower's after seeing what short cuts they are taking to save money.
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