Cheap potting compost

[Muddy_Boots]

Hi everyone

Here's another cheap tip, picked this up in Home Bargains this morning after spotting it in the gardening section.



Only cost �1.79 for 50L, easy to carry and expands to a wheel barrow full when you add water. ..... bargain.

[Bex2012]

I got some of the little blocks for 69p, think they make 10 lts. Not tried it yet, was planning on mixing it in with some normal mpc.

[WendyC]

I tried some coir compost a couple of years ago. It was meant to reconstitute to 50litres but made no where near that. The other factor I hadn't appreciated was the awful smell. So not for me I'm afraid.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Coir is dried and compressed to ease transport costs from its Asian origins.

Most expansion occurs when it is decompressed by the importer with somewhat less expansion during the re-wetting process.

[Jungle Jane]

I bought that last year & thought it was good for germinating seeds it's also quite lightweight so would be good for a little shed roof garden for herbs.

[spamvindaloo]

If you do use coir, remember that it is inert so you will need to add feed

[HoneyChild]

I have bought coconut coir previously but have decided I don't like it as it has no nutrients. I also find it dries out very easily, so I'm not sure why it's promoted as a peat alternative.

[celiagrows]

Hi everyone

Here's another cheap tip, picked this up in Home Bargains this morning after spotting it in the gardening section.

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Only cost �1.79 for 50L, easy to carry and expands to a wheel barrow full when you add water. ..... bargain.

i picked up the same stuff yesterday from my local home bargains, glad to hear its decent as i havent had chance to sort it today

[Paulieb]

I sometimes use coir as it's a cheaper alternative for adding to a mix to bulk up compost....but you do need to add feed relevant to what you're growing. But then normal MPC only provides food for 6 weeks so you pay your money and take your chances.

Also you could argue it's not that much better than peat once it's been processed and flown half the way round the world from a coconut growing country (most likely Asia or the Caribbean)!

[Potstubsdustbins]

^^^^^^^^Have to agree but it is mainly shipped so a little better than planes but not much.

[dilettante]

I'd like to know by what measure they decided it is 100% eco friendly, given it's shipped halfway round the world. Having said that, I'd quite like to try it out as part of a seed compost, or even as just a cheap source of OM to improve soil structure, regardless of lack of nutrients.

[lolie]

Coir blocks are awesome.

I mix perlite with the seed raising coir for seeds and potting mix/compost with the normal coir for my pots. Some of the ones I've bought have slow release fertiliser in the block.

I love being able to have blocks on hand for times when I decide I absolutely need to pot or replant right now. I also love how much it improves drainage and opens up the soil.

[Lisasbolt]

I use the coco stuff, about 1.50 to make 10 litres, i find it really good to start off seedlings and it is fine and you do not need to sieve it, but you do need to give you seedling a good feed once a fortnight till they get potted on.