Multi-purpose Compost Prices 2015

[WendyC]

Peat Free Compost - Thursday, 19.02. - Lidl UK

Unfortunately no Lidl or Aldi near me. However it is good to see the peat free ones are closer in price than, say 5-10 years ago, when the cost of peat free was much more.
I agree composts can be variable, but find the NH more consistent than many.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I won't use peat free for two reason's (1) I have yet to find what I refer to as a good compost in the peat free composts available, maybe I just set my sights to high. (2) I don't believe that coir is that eco friendly and it has been pushed on us by people who have not really thought about it.

I try to reuse my compost has much as possible so price becomes less of an issue as I only have to buy for seed cutting. The best quality I have found over the last two seasons has been Jacks Magic.

[Jay-ell]

Here's an even cheaper one from Wickes
4p/lt

Wickes Multi-Purpose Compost 70L | Wickes.co.uk

�0.042857142 per litre same as JTF. Wickes rounded down to make it look better knowing that you'd have to be pretty anal to work it out.

Hang on, what did I just call me?

[veggiechicken]

Are you an Analyst, Jay-ell?
There are no JTF's down here BTW, so any reduction is shopping there would be negated by the petrol costs in driving oop north.
If petrol costs �1.05 a litre and the nearest JTF is 300 miles away, how much would 70L of compost cost?

[Jay-ell]

Are you an Analyst, Jay-ell?
There are no JTF's down here BTW, so any reduction is shopping there would be negated by the petrol costs in driving oop north.
If petrol costs �1.05 a litre and the nearest JTF is 300 miles away, how much would 70L of compost cost?

Sorry, insufficient data

[NatalieCooke]

Presumably these are peat based composts. I don't use peat based compost and use the New Horizon MPC. Last time I bought some it was 3 for 2, 56 litre bags for �5.99 each. Works out about 7p a litre.

Managed to pick up two bags today for �2.49. Not sure why it was so cheap.

[libbyloulou]

I use and will stick with bq, i'm a penny pincher as far as compost is concerned, bq are the only company as far as i'm concerned that throw so much peat in their product,which is needed by me.
Ireland burn compost by the tonne, or ton, but us growers are denied it. If iv'e got it wrong, i'm willing to be righted. Let others experiment with rubbish council compost, i won't.

[Nicola.P]

I bought a 100 ltr bag for 6.99 from the garden centre.
Moving it however takes much more effort as it weighs an absolute tonne!!

I think a trip to wickes is in order, I need loads of compost and manure.

[Kristen]

Given up on the compost from the Big Box Sheds locally, quality was variable and I was always sifting some rubbish out of it. When I did buy from them I always bought in the Autumn because either their raw materials got sopping wet over winter, or where they stored the bags did, and they were often heavily compressed inside needing all the lumps breaking up, whereas the Autumn-bought stuff was much better moisture content and not compressed like a rock! There were always 3-for-2 or similar offers in the Autumn, and it was the Spring when the bag size went from 65L to 60L or whatever ...

I stumbled over this photo the other day - it reminded me of all the (small - passes through my sieve) rubbish that was in the compost I used to use



Anyways, I now buy horticultural grade from Sinclair which is very consistent and I think works better.

6.8p/L delivered (but have to buy in bulk quantity, 45x75L bags for that price, which is about what I use in a whole season)

Potting & Bedding Composts | William Sinclair | Gardening advice, tips, J Arthur Bower, New Horizons, plant foods, fertilisers, soil products

[spamvindaloo]

For years I bought J Arthur Bowers from the local Makro. It's currently �6.99 + VAT for 100 litres but nearly always on BOGOF so works out at �8.39 for 200 litres or 4.2p per litre but I have found that the quality of JAB MPC has really gone downhill and the last couple of times I bought it has been horrible stuff.

Bought some from Asda last year (3 x 70 litres for �10 or 4.8p per litre, I think) and was good stuff but not seen any yet this year and supermarket compost does differ a lot year to year.

Most recently I have been buying Westland Compost from the garden centre. 3 x 75 litre bags for �12. 5.3p per litre and it seems good stuff.

[TrysHard]

The Wickes 70 litres for �3 is last years stock and instore only. The 3.99 is this years.

Asda does have 3 x 70 litre bags for �10 which is just shy of 4.8p a litre and is nationwide at all Asda stores that stock garden products.

Wickes is good if you can get some or Asda if the quality is OK this year.

I bought 560 litres in Wyevale earlier in the year and got some end of season growbags from Wickes both sub 4.5p

[Bohobumble]

Managed to pick up two bags today for �2.49. Not sure why it was so cheap.

Where from Natalie?!

[Martin H]

I've tried most of the common multipurpose ones - T3sco, H0mebas3, B4Q, Westland, J Arthur B - and they all seem to be very variable. It seems to be a matter of luck whether you get one from a good batch or a bad batch.

I'm currently working through a 120 litre bag of B4Q Verve, actually this bag is one of the better ones, good in terms of texture, although it does have some sticks and little bits of plastic in it.

[Alison]

I use and will stick with bq, i'm a penny pincher as far as compost is concerned, bq are the only company as far as i'm concerned that throw so much peat in their product,which is needed by me.
Ireland burn compost by the tonne, or ton, but us growers are denied it. If iv'e got it wrong, i'm willing to be righted. Let others experiment with rubbish council compost, i won't.

Sorry but logic like you are using about peat usage annoys me, other people may well be doing worse things but that doesn't make it right. Also, I'm not talking about using council compost instead, I minimise the amount I buy (carting large heavy sacks of anything around the country isn't good for the environment) and the choose to buy the best I can for the bit I need. People can disagree whether removing peat has any effect but I firmly believe that we have a social responsibility to think our actions through and be comfortable with that rather than put the full responsibility on "them".

[beeterforit]

Hi All
Has anyone found a good multi-purpose compost yet
I have used most and they seem to go from worse to useless