Author Topic: Anyone recommend a good compost (Read 2641 times)

Shinding · « **on:** January 31, 2017, 12:39:16 pm »

Hi,

Can anyone please recommend a good organic, peat free compost?

Thanks.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2017, 04:41:08 pm »

I used to buy New Horizon Organic Peatfree, for many years. They must have changed the recipe after the neonicotinoid weedkillers started contaminating compost both bought and home made and I no longer buy it. I have to admit that I've started using one which does have a small percentage of peat - very much against my principles, but given that some countries use peat in power stations, I think my little contribution won't make much difference either way.
However, if anyone comes up with a good organic peat free compost then I'll jump at it

DavidandCollette · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2017, 05:45:18 pm »

New Horizon organic and peat free is what we use. As well as making our own

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2017, 11:15:28 pm »

D&C what's your recipe for your own compost? I did try it one year and it worked ok, but I'm lazy enough to prefer just opening the bag

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2017, 12:14:51 am »

I use New Horizon Organic and peat-free as well but it isn't weed-seed free and I did have a problem with slugs eating seedlings while they were still inside in a propagator so I think there must have been eggs in the compost. I'm looking for something different this year.

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2017, 08:22:00 am »

Dalefoot..
Made from sheep fleece and bracken in the Lake District. Pricey, but then you pay more for small local producers.

https://www.dalefootcomposts.co.uk

DavidandCollette · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2017, 09:23:05 am »

FW- i am lazy also but i make sure that everything that can go on the compost heap does. Its just 4 pallets for each heap.my friend is very organic and recommends moving the heap after 4 weeks to the next 'box' process is repeated after another 4 weeks. Compost is then ready for use. He obviousl has a lot of time on his hands.

i just bung it all in and wait for the good stuff to come out of the bottom. I always leave a bit of goood stuff in becsuse i think that it helps to start the process off again. Hope that helps

Fleecewife · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2017, 12:59:48 pm »

Quote from: DavidandCollette on February 01, 2017, 09:23:05 am

FW- i am lazy also but i make sure that everything that can go on the compost heap does. Its just 4 pallets for each heap.my friend is very organic and recommends moving the heap after 4 weeks to the next 'box' process is repeated after another 4 weeks. Compost is then ready for use. He obviousl has a lot of time on his hands. i just bung it all in and wait for the good stuff to come out of the bottom. I always leave a bit of goood stuff in becsuse i think that it helps to start the process off again. Hope that helps

Hi D&C, I make garden compost as you do, it was seedling compost I meant, which needs to be lower in nutrients. I made it with sieved molehill soil, sieved garden compost, seaweed meal, wood ash and sharp sand. For growing-on compost I added sieved very well rotted manure. I don't have a soil steriliser for the molehill soil, so my seedling compost tended to sprout weeds seedlings. I just wondered if you had a recipe for that.

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2017, 09:44:45 pm »

my garden compost is added to the contents of the manure heaps so too rich for seed sowing.

Shinding · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2017, 09:44:39 am »

Thanks for all your replies - we've only recently moved into our new place and our home made compost ready isn't yet so going to give Melcourt's SylvaGrow a try as our local garden centre is stocking it this year. Have read some good reviews about it.