[cloddopper]

I've been looking for a cheap alternative to peat , found some stuff called Verve  in .
B&Q & thought I 'd solved the problem .
 A few days ago I was playing idly on the PC and put in peat substitute up came a company who were selling super dried highly compressed chopped / ground up  coir off coconuts  .

 I needed about 500 litres the stuff to fill my new raised beds with  mix of it , vermiculite and well composted manures .
Elixir garden supplies name appeared so I explored the site and as a result purchased 10 blocks for £43 ish inc P&P .
it arrived  the nest day as two large parcels via Parcel Force .
 
 Each block weighs about 10 pounds ( 4.5 Kg ) measures 12 x 12 x 5" ( 300 x 300 x 125 mm ) you add an initial 23 litres of water to it whilst the block is in a big wheel barrow . it's not long before it is all absorbed . I carried on adding measured quantities of water and at the end of the session found I'd put in 41 litres . After I'd agitated/stirred it about ,it fluffed up enough to fill an 80 litre plastic dust bin .
 As the coir is nutrient deficient and rather than pay for packets of nutrients I added 80 gram of fish blood & bone meal to the second charge of water along with enough tomato feed for four gallons of tomato watering  and stirred it in well.

 I must say that I'm delighted with it for it should be a totally weed free growth medium  in the couple of hundred of my tube plant pots I've been filling yesterday & today .

 With luck I'll have 800 litres of fluffed up coir at the end of the day but not have the problems of having to store it in big 120 cubic litre  bales or 60 litre bag as It can be reconstituted as & when it's needed.

[Ina]

My problem has always been getting small quantities of the stuff; nobody seems to sell it - garden centres haven't heard of it; ordering only makes sense in large quantities due to high postage. (I first bought a brick of that kind around 20 years ago - but that was in Germany! Only been able to get one like it here since.)

I've used the free "soil improver" from the council recycling place to fill my raised beds. Partly, at least. Take a few bags every time I get near the recycle centre...

[polaris]

If your looking for small quantities try "Swell Reptiles" they sell it specifically for use in vivariums and terrariums and it comes in much small quantities as well. Exact same stuff, I breed geckos and garden and quite often out all the old stuff from the vivariums on the compost heap, it really adds bulk and gives great fluffy structure to the compost.

Bear in mind when it is completely dry it will blow away very easily and never shrinks back to the original compressed block size. It's great for everything though with a good fertiliser added in. 

[Steph Hen]

I have bales of peat moss. We thought it was peat/compost type stuff, but when emptied out (and googled) more like coir. In that it's nutrient deficient, and requires a huge amount of water to turn it into something plantable. We left the hose on it for hours and added loads of ferts and ended up with a very productive bed. So good luck with yours! And for others, maybe try looking for peat moss?

[Lesley Silvester]

I use New Horizons potting compost as it's organic and peat free. No good if you are filling raised beds but mine were filled with rotted goat manure. I will just plant in compost-filled holes dug in the manure.

[pgkevet]

I happily use the B&Q large bags - can get 6 into the 4x4 without folding any seats down - or if you ask nicely I've had a whole pallet delivered before.
Buy on old f@rt discount wednesday...

[Ina]

If your looking for small quantities try "Swell Reptiles" they sell it specifically for use in vivariums and terrariums and it comes in much small quantities as well.

Thanks for that. £2.89 for a block - but who knows how much postage on top? I really need to be able to buy it in a shop nearby, so I don't have additional costs... I only need one or two blocks per year, for seedlings. But I shall keep an eye open for it. Maybe a pet shop would sell it?