Can we trust any bought peat-free compost?

[realfood]

Solway cropper, yes it is definitely aminopyralid contamination. It may well be organic but if the cattle have been fed on hay or silage which the farmer may not know has been treated with aminopyralid if he has bought it in, then the manure will be contaminated.

[solway cropper]

It would seem the word 'organic' has two meanings: 1. in the strict sense as applied by The Soil Association where there is a definite accountability all through the process and 2. as a marketing tool to extract yet more money from hard-pressed gardeners.

I wouldn't care but I only bought the stuff because it was on special offer!

[ken]

I'm in a situation now where I have to grow vitually all my veg in containers, and have to use bought-in compost. Without disagreeing with anything that's been said - and I accept we have to be suspicious - most of my experience has been positive. I've stopped buying the cheapest rubbish. When I can get it, I buy Arthur Bowers' Organic Peat-free Vegetable Compost, but the local garden centre doesn't always have it. I boost the feed with Growmore or home-made compost. Results have been good this year. The only dodgy experience has been with my 4 outdoor tomato plants, in 10-inch pots. Unfortunately, I can't remember what compost I used there, but with three of the four pots, the water runs straight through to the saucers. I know that's not good, but in fact the plants have fruited OK, although with quite a lot of distorted fruit - as in, with 'beaks', and more divided and drier than they should be. I don't know whether to blame the weather or the compost!

[JohnN]

Sorry if I should have started a new post with this, but it seemed to tag nicely onto the compost thread.
After a terrible tomato crop in my greenhouse trench last year, this year I excavated everything out to 12" deep, then laid four growbags in a row, with the whole of the top panels removed. I put four tall narrow flower pots (for watering) in the centre of each bag and then filled the trench in with the old compost refreshed with Growmore and some new compost. I planted two toms per bag, each side of the watering pot.
I've had the best toms (Alicante) for years, some of them the size of oranges!
But a query: when the toms have finished should I repeat the whole exercise next year, or will it be sufficient to just revitalise the growbags in situ? Opinions welcomed, thanks.

[MikA]

Has any one else tried the Westland WEST+ range?

In answer to Alan's question I have trusted these products this year and hope I can do so again next year.

Quotes form the Westland-peat-reduction.pdf available on their website:-

"WEST+ ingredient is based on Sitka Spruce".
"Guaranteed to be pathogen free and free from contaminants such as plastic".

This sounds good and does not use the council recycled rubbish.


I have used both the "Light and Easy" [Peat free] and the WEST+ MPC [50% peat]

Both have worked well this year. Both rooted beans and peas well in roottrainers. But the Light and Easy did not work too well as a base for my self watering systems so I switched to the 50% peat which has done well mixed with 33% perlite.

I do recall another post where someone rubbished the basing of compost on wood fibre. So I assume they must see some problems with this approach although I have always added shredded wood trimmings to my home made composts without apparent issues.