A good moan about multi-purpose compost.

[Ricard with an H]

Geoff,you did it. I can only imagine the usefulness of a roto or rota sieve so I'm hotfoot to Google and maybe buy one.

[Ricard with an H]

Its in the pipe-line, just what I needed.

Isn't this a larger version of what my mother used to prepare food for her babies called Mueli-baby, or something along those lines. If its as effective it'll be fantastic.

Thanks Geoff.

[Chantal]

I used to buy Bullrush multi purpose compost from one of our local garden centres, now long gone along with most of the others (from 7 to 2 in just 4 years!). It was brilliant stuff, but I can't find it now

As for "When the marketing guys say, "With extra John Innes". What does that mean?" I've sometimes thought my bags actually had someone called John Innes in them they were so flippin' heavy!

[Ricard with an H]

Sorry, I have to correct my original post.

What it actually says on the bag is, "With added John Innes to aid water and nutrient-retention"

Surely those water retention particles we can buy can't be attributed to John Innes. I don't know much about this John Innes other than working on the probabilities he was a noted gardening person who invented a system for grading soil.

Back to Google then.

[Sandyback]

Before I sourced a regular supply of Erin I was partially drying out Bowers MP compost and adding sharp sand at close 2:3, it certainly helped matters also alleviated green algea forming on top.

[Geoff]

Added John Innes should mean blended with a soil based compost. Sand is what is usually mixed with peat to give it water retention, I know it sounds counter intuitive.

I hope you are happy with your sieve. I bought one in 2013 (eBay Bigger Savings) because I couldn't work out a way of replacing the mesh in the one I inherited from my father who died in 1986, I don't know how long he had been using it. It is not as well made as the original but I have beefed up the legs by bolting the legs from to old one to them. The knob on the top is not as good either, the old one was more like that on a brace and bit but I have managed to transfer it. I spread out my soil, sand and leafmould to dry a bit in the greenhouse before I try and mix them.

PS : eBay listings are Rotary Soil Sieve

[Ricard with an H]

I spent enough time trawling the internet, just missed one and there are some made by 'Clark' the national machinery company.

I have ordered one from >>>>>>> http://www.rotasieve.co.uk/ <<<<<<<

There are cheaper ones but not much cheaper, this small firm are not very organised with their online purchasing procedure though they explain its a money saving reason.

I'll be sure to let you know if I shot myself in the foot. (Again)

The 'Black-Gold' I referred to in a previous thread could do with going through this rotasieve but I'm going to have to leave it to the worms.

Thanks Geoff, you're a star, anything else ? Don't hold back.

[Geoff]

I started a discussion some time back about making your own compost viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9514&hilit=potting+compost
One thing I have found is that the extra weight of soil based composts isn't that good for all the flimsy modules I use.

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks Geoff.

I'm trying a soil based mix though it just seems too heavy, then I have the inevitable risk of the local seed-bank going into overdrive and swamping everything.

I just spent 2/3 hours a day on top of my daily work just pulling out things I planted to relieve them of their couch-grass or other burden that would just kill them off. Lifting the whole plant and pulling out the intruders is the only way in most cases and even then you often leave roots that re-establish.

I can't afford the annual expense of compost any more than I can afford fuel for my car/van but it has to done. I tried burning the soil but as someone pointed out the process actually help the odd seed to survive and it doesn't take many seeds to sprout before they become triffids.

I even had a strawberry plant establish itself amongst a lemon-balm root which as you will know if you ever grew lemon balm has a very prolific rooting system that establishes itself without weeds disturbing it's growth. Respect for strawberry plants, Eh ?

[Ricard with an H]

I may have to do a 'U' turn on this moan about the Bowers compost, yes it has lumps and twigs and the odd bit of plastic but once I had taken your advise to sieve it and have now used it for seed-sowing and potting-on it seems to be quite balanced when it comes to moisture retention.

What I mean is when I used that New Horizon peat-free in plastic pots it would dry out in the first half inch but be sodden in the middle, this didn't happen in clay pots.

A sieved 50 litre bag produces about half a builders bucket of lumps and twigs, the remaining mixture is easy to use, easier than peat-free, though I am concerned about nutrient levels which are claimed to be 4/6 weeks. Seedlings seem to be pale green with the odd yellow bit which suggests to me a low nutrient and though I'm hardly experienced enough to make that judgement my ear-to-the-ground tells me that nutrient addition to compost is expensive. I go to the garden centre to compare the colour of their similarly sized plants and see a much more vibrant green.

They use, "A professional product".

[John]

I've also found this yellowing problem is common with these composts. Watering with a solution of Epsom Salts (also sold as magnesium sulpahte or simply magnesium feed or tonic in garden centres) will quickly solve the problem - use two teaspoons per gallon (love those old measurements!).

John

[Ricard with an H]

What is it John and how does epsom salts help, can you explain ? Epsom salts is an ant-acid, helps bach-ache, produces glowing skin and deals with greasy hair and other stuff for famous models. Makes you poo a lot so I never used it after my mum gave it to me with other 'oils'.

Oh-yes, and I emptied that half bucket of lumps and twigs into the Rotasieve which reduced it by half sized lumps of about 15mm maximum.

[John]

Magnesium is an essential element in plant nutrition. If it is lacking then the leaves will not be able to produce sufficient chlorophyll. the green pigment in leaves, and they will take on a yellow colour. It shows first at the tips of the youngest leaves and is called chlorosis. A dose of magnesium sulphate will correct this.
In fact its similar to the situation in the human body where a lack of iron in the diet will lead to anaemia - reduced levels of haemoglobin in the blood.
Hope this helps
John

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks John.
You could call me an 'Early-adoptor' so I ordered 10 kilos.

No-really, I'm not joking. It all came flooding back to me this morning, the use of 'Epsom Salts'. Then I did some online research and whilst the idea of gaining a flat tummy by using the salts seems a bit far fetched and artistic on the part of the marketing people I do remember some of its many uses when it first became popular.

We always had a kilner jar full of the stuff in the airing cupboard for bath time so at the very least I'll give the ten kilos a go for aches and pains together with your recommendation in my gardening venture.

[Ricard with an H]

And back to multi-purpose compost again. I'm confirming I'm doing a complete 'U' turn about this Bowers stuff. It really is THE most balanced growing medium I have used as regards moisture balance though I'm only three years old in my experience.

I've just got most of my way through my potting-on of flowers for the garden areas, I did use much deeper seed trays this year and I feel this has been a huge improvement so thanks to whoever it was who commented they regarded seed trays as too shallow.

Ok, this uses a lot more compost at a higher annual cost though compost isn't wasted on my garden soil nor anyone else's I suppose. My seed trays are those plastic mushroom trays with a polythene lining to keep the compost in, I get over four inches of depth and the roots of the seedlings are far more robust. I suppose it helps that I spaced the seeds out a lot better as well, this has been a massive success this year and I'm hoping it was down to my tactics based on KG reading and asking questions.

The lumps I sieved out of Bowers are really of no consequence as they go into the bottom of larger pots.

Ok-Ok, I know, you're all smiling. You've all been through this and even though you-all from my experiences I really feel I should illustrate my successes as well as asking for your help.

What a year, so-far. Everything is rocking. (As-they-say)