John Innes

[ChrisR]

I mostly use JI No.2 or 3 with added grit and Tesco Premium Cat Litter for my potting compost. I adjust the mix by adding more or less of the grit and TPCL, depending on the sensitivity to over-watering of whatever plant I'm potting up. It works for me.

I'm familiar with the mixes and recipes for JI composts, but would be interested to know other growers experiences of different manufacturers.

It annoys me that with those I've tried thus far, I always have to put the JI through a sieve to get rid of the rubbish - and this is (I'd estimate) 20% of the bag in some cases.

I've tried;

GEM - rubbish. Weeds germinated in the bag, lots of coarse stuff and big 'orrible lumps. Plants didn't like it either.

ARTHUR BOWERS - not much better than GEM.

LEVINGTON - better. No weeds, still coarse, larger lumps - and what's described on the bag as "gravel" is actually small/medium pebbles.

WESTLAND - best. Fewer lumps, finer and less gravel. Least waste.

So if you're a JI user, which brand do you use?

And do these manufacturers have to be licenced by the JI Institute to use their formula and if so, does the Institute ever check the quality?

[Vic]

I use Goundrey's Chris. It's superior to the likes of some of those you have mentioned. Really good stuff and doesn't need sifting. Cheap too. They produce/supply a lot of other stuff such as cornish grit etc. I recently popped over there just the other side of Banbury and bought 5 bags of JI2, 5 bags of grit and a huge sack of perlite all for ?27. They do deliver.

[iann]

Westland is the best I've found but it still has some chunks of matted peat and wood.

John Innes Manufacturers Association

[Bill]

To be quite honest, I am not sure what mine is but I have a a feeling it's westland.

As far as I am aware there is no control on the use of JI recipes and if I remember correctly the ingredients in the original recipes were Loam, peat and sand in varying proportions for the seed. cutting and potting mixes and 1,2 and 3 only differ by the amount of fertilizer in them. Note no grit.

[Lindsey]

There's a Roffey JI2 that I have bought from Wisley sales area for several years. Nice and loamy, I wouldn't use any other compost for my mesembs (I add various amounts of fine or coarse grit or sand, depending on what I am potting up). However, this year there seem to be a few more bits of decomposing old plant than previously, which I pick out as I mix up the compost by hand. I'm finding things that wouldn't be encountered in habitat by a little Lith.... sorry, off topic, Chris!

[ChrisR]

One thing I've noticed already from the few replies rec'd, is that it must depend on what part of the country we are, as to what brand is available.

Up here, I've never seen or heard of Goundrey's or Roffey.......



Chris

[Aloenut]

Chris,

Goundrey usually advertise in the BCSS Journal. I use their JI, sand and grit and am happy with the quality.

Aloenut

[Martin]

I also use Goundrey's as advertised in the Journal.

Having tried most all other suppliers from Garden centres Goundrey's is by far the best quality and consistency.

Also if you can collect from them and tell them you are from the BCSS you will get it at trade prices so about half the cost from a garden centre at about ?1.50 per bag !!!

They are located in Enstone Industrial estate about 10 minutes west of Oxford near Blenheim Palace

See

[phil]

I use 'Tunstall' John Innes which seems pretty reliable and doesn?t need sieving.

[Vic]

Like Martin says Chris, I went to collect it from Goundreys, didn't mention BCSS but did say it was for cacti and I got it at trade price. I've just looked and the perlite is 100 litres (?9.13). I think a small 5 litre bag in the gc's is around ?3 or so although I used to by it from Wilkos for ?1.25 but you certainly can't beat Goundreys price - excellent value.