Kitchen Garden Forum

I have sown our onions today (Rijsburger 5 Balstora, in case you are wondering) in the only new potting compost I could get at this time of the year and in small quantity: Westland general purpose compost with added John Innes. Now, I usually use Arthur Bowers which has worked for me for many years for sowing and planting, but this Westland compost seems to contain an awful lot of unrotted tough (woody?) bits, in fact I came across a clump of completely unrotted wood shavings. What do you folks use for sowing and potting? I do make my own compost for some of the plants but it isn't really of good enough quality for sowing.

I tried that Westland and gave it up on account of the lumps.. Current favourite is B&q multipurpose. There is another compost to be avoided that has added wetter, resulting in soggy results that damp off, Erin I think.
Allan

I used a couple of bags of that last year (blue bags I think?).

I would say that it's not really suitable for seed sowing - pricking out into and potting maybe. There does seem to be a lot of the 'lumps' - don't think it was wood shavings though -too fluffy. Possibly try sieving for sowing?

We get usually have commercial organic sowing and potting compost from our local growers group - 10+ bags at a time. Its by klassman this year but have had scotts previously.

I used to use J A Bowers traditional compost with added sand if I could get it, or New horizon (not for seeds - too lumpy).

Hi Monika

It's mostly down to personal preference. I like Arthur Bowers as well (the one with some sand included) and this is my prefered option. It is mainly to do with the feel of the stuff and the sense of past reliability rather than anything more scientific. But you can also get really good bargins on peat only composts from the likes of ASDA which I used last year to mix with JI 3 to fill the new greenhouse borders.

Chris

PS Thanks for the horse raddish a few years ago - it's thriving but well contained.

I like Arther Bowers compost but ye gods is it heavy to move in bags. Tim thought we had Arther Bowers himself in the bag when I asked him to shift it for me.

One of my favourites is Bullrush compost but it's not that easy to find.

List of "best buy" potting compost from the Gardening Which magazine, just published:
best peat-free multipurpose: New Horizon
best peat-based multi-purpose: Arthur Bowers
best for growing on young plants: B&Q Multipurpose, Gem Multi-Purpose, J Arthur Bowers Multi-Purpose, Miracle-Gro All Purpose, Westland Multi-Purpose, Westland Multi-Purpose with added John Innes

I tried that New Horizon, it is like shredded hedge cuttings, may be all right for potting on but no way would I try to sow tiny seeds in that again.
I dumped the lot out in the garden.

I know what I don't like - B&Q's own. I foolishly bought lots of it last year when it was half price and it was hopeless.

Potting composts seem much more variable these days, even within a brand you can get good bags one year and poorer bags next season. I was impressed with some Homebase multipurpose that I bought six months ago.
I have also tried Chempak's compost bases, there's one for potting and another for seed sowing. With these you have to buy your peat or whatever separately and mix it up with the fertilizer base. I used all moss peat and got an excellent compost but you can use a peat/sharp sand(or grit or perlite) mix. You do have to give it all a really good mix up though - my builders barrow was ideal for this.
I guess that its more expensive this way but the results made it worthwhile.

John

Tigger, what was wrong with B&Q's own for you, it gets consistently good reports in various publications. I am using only that. It is a bit lumpy but where that matters I sieve it then grind up the lumps in a blender for where I want very fine compost.
Allan

Humex is pretty good and good value.

I think it was 50% compost problem and 50% service issues. I'm sure I will have had a rant on the Forum, so it's probably stored away somewhere.

They had those really big bags (350 litre or more?) on special offer. I'm pretty good at lifting, but they didn't have any flat bottom trolleys to load them onto, so I had to move all 6 of them one at a time in an ordinary supermarket-type trolley, as one bag filled the trolley. As that meant going back and forth 12 times, they wouldn't let me pay for all 6 at once - I had to take each one through the checkout seperately.

No-one would help me. The girl working on the section was pregnant and couldn't lift. They called for a chap but he couldn't even move one bag off the pallet on the floor.

Nevertheless I persevered and got them home, unloaded and into my tunnels and outdoor potting area, only to find the compost was mouldy, clumpy and full of big bits of stuff that I didn't recognise.

After lots of failures (including my first round of tomatoes and chillies which I always start off in February and usually grow like weeds) I ended up top dressing the flower beds with the compost.

It's back to TFM for me this year. I'll buy whatever compost they choose to sell, plus the 300 growbags for my tunnels and they'll deliver the lot and unload it for me, to wherever I want, for a few quid. As I'm also going back to keeping chickens this year (much to Lyndon's irritation), they'll bring the feed at the same time and top up my stocks of wild bird seed, fat balls, peanuts and thistle seed. As an example of value for money, they sell boxes of 100 fat balls which means they work out at less than 6p each.

Great firm. Great service. Happy customer.

hi tigger, ive used b&q compost for a long time and allways been satisfied, weve got two stores within ten miles and both are well run allways pleanty of trollies and staff , mind you i do avoid peak times. your story does sound like its down to store management at your branch, too much stock hanging about and poor staff management.

We got a report from Which? Magazine about this very subject. Check out the News & Views section...

When I started this thread off, I was doubtful about the Westland general purpose compost. Well, my Rijnsburger 5 Balstora onions have germinated like mustard and cress and have been in the unheated greenhouse today (beautifully warmed by the sunshine), though they will spend their nights in an unheated room in the house. Will keep you posted how they progress in the compost till planting out time!