compost

[Marise]

What is everyone's favourite compost that you use to mix your own recipe? I've just had some appalling quality Levington John Innes and don't propose to buy it again!

[Tina]

I'm using westlands, not that great but the best I can get locally

[rodsmith]

I haven't used John Innes of any make for years. I use a combination of coir, grit, Tesco cat litter and vermiculite; with added fertiliser in the form of Chempak No. 8. I then use a dilute solution of the same fertiliser every second watering during the growing season.

[el48tel]

Westland - again about the best I can find - I don't trust "own brand" and had a bad experience with Levington last year with non-succulents in the pots in the garden.
I know I may be alone - but John Innes 2 mixed 50:50 with potting grit - had some granite the load before last which would be inert and was very free draining, but much of that load went also into the garden potting out. The current bags are what looks like river/sediment grit because that was all they had available at my usual Garden Centre.
However I found an alternative source of granite at a different location - and a better price.
So for those of us who live in easy drive of God's Own Country a.k.a. Yorkshire
Arium (which is the garden centre owned by Leeds City Council - Thorner Lane, Scarcroft, Leeds LS14 3FB) has the large bags at 3 for £12) - they have an enormous set of greenhouses into which you can see where they have the mechanization of prepping plants for sale and the City Parks. Food and shop too.

[ragamala]

So for those of us who live in easy drive of God's Own Country a.k.a. Yorkshire

Is this a political comment, are you pushing for Yorkshire independence?

Thanks to members of this forum I have tried Clover compost and found it wonderful to work with. Handling a compost should be a pleasure rather than a pain, and the Clover peat-based compost which is readily available is indeed a pleasure to handle. Seedlings grow well in this with a mix of Perlite or Vermiculite (or both). I am sure too, with appropriate fertilisation as Ralph suggests, this is good for older plants too. And easy on the bench support.

Unfortunately you have to put your environmental principles aside to use it. There is I understand a Clover brand loam-based compost but this is hard to get hold of (see another thread).

I have never yet found a satisfactory "JI" loam-based compost. Yet I have plants which still thrive after 40 years in a compost based on loam, and, to be honest, have received little or no repotting over that period, just an occasional potting on and even less frequent feeding.

[el48tel]

With regards to compost mixes .... this could become a debate on the incantation from That Scottish Play.

With regards to the "political" statement ... I was not born in GOC but regard it as home. It has similar population to Norway Denmark and NZ ... or Scotland or Wales. I'll leave the Economic and Demographic arguments for the moment.

[Diane]

Another vote for Westlands, it seems to be quite good quality. Homebase's own brand isn't too bad either.

[wildedges]

I've been using Bord Na Mona John Innes for a while as that's what my local nursery sells but I recently tried Erin branded stuff and it's like a different product. The Erin seems to be much more soil based with a finer texture and a more clayey colour which suits smaller pots. I was having to sieve out the Bord Na stuff and them break up the lumps and pick out the sticks and rocks. I'm not sure how the plants will grow yet but the Erin certainly looks like a better product.

[agavedave]

I just mix up my own from whatever I can get my hands on.

Mostly

Sterilised top soil
Molar clay (cat litter or absorbant granules)
calcined flint (Meadowview Horticultural Potting Grit Eco) or Melcourt Potting grit
Coir or Melcourt Sylvagrow
Vitax Q4+ fertiliser base

then add more of the larger molar clay (sophisticat pink) as needed for large pots that go outside in the summer

Best Regards
Dave

[ragamala]

I've been using Bord Na Mona John Innes for a while as that's what my local nursery sells

I couldn't find many suppliers of this, but when I did it was a "Material Peat Based With Added John Innes".

This is frankly nonsense.

Erin, as Clover, being Ireland based, trade mainly on their peat-based products.

John Innes specification, as has been repeatedly said on other threads, was not fussy about its inclusion of peat as well as loam in the formulation.

It seems clear to me that our plants are adaptable and will grow in a variety of media. There are environmental issues involved here - it's up to everyone to take a position.

There's no easy answer.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/about-the-rhs/po ... nt-on-peat