Gro-sure 11200018 All Purpose Compost with 4 Months Plant Feed, 10 Litre - Dark

Product Information

You may see composts formulated for veg growing. These are very similar to multipurpose composts, but may have a slightly different balance of nutrients. Some are excellent, some are less good. Look at our grow bags results. Old compost is often on sale - we send secret shoppers to buy our composts, who tell us if they find old compost on sale. It's a very common problem. We also know from our testing that old compost doesn't perform as well as fresh compost. To avoid this, buy bags that look new and aren't faded or heavy, which suggests they have been sitting around in bright sunshine for too long, or have been rained on regularly.

Use compost in a well-ventilated place; keep the greenhouse or potting shed door open and avoid breathing in dust. The consistency of this compost makes it easy to work with. It’s very smooth, and has a fresh smell to it with a crumbly texture. The most important thing is to make sure it’s not able to dry out. In storage, ensure it’s as airtight as possible and it should last for up to a year. For multi-purpose composts, look for a relatively even NPK ratio . This refers to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the mix, all of which are nutrients required for plant health. But the only way to know if a compost is good or bad is to grow plants in it and compare them - something we've been doing for more than 30 years. When peat is dug up, to be used as compost (or for other reasons), the store of carbon is disturbed and released into the atmosphere. This is the first downside of harvesting peat – especially on a commercial scale.

My Top Recommended Multi-Purpose Compost

There is also some peat in the mix, which more and more gardeners are looking to avoid; however, it is considered a ‘reduced peat’ compost, so they have gone to measures to keep the peat content down. Peat-free compost also tends to be more expensive because there is more processing involved than simply digging up peat. Overall, it’s one of the best composts to use if you’re after value for money. It’s a good quality product, in a size that’s easy to manage, and you still get a lot for the price. There may also be other materials present, like bits of bark or stones. This can vary from compost to compost. The inclusion of larger materials can stop the compost from becoming too compacted, and can help with drainage and aeration. However, it can also just demonstrate that the manufacturer isn’t very careful with sieving the compost, and it’s not uncommon for budget composts to have a higher density of large material.

Tub and basket composts are formulated to give the right conditions for pots of summer bedding to grow well.

The key ingredients to look out for are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Broadly speaking, nitrogen helps with leaf growth, phosphate is for a strong root development, and potassium will encourage flowering and fruiting. When it comes to compost, one of the most important things is to make sure that it contains a good balance of nutrients. To avoid too much soil compaction, choose compost with a mixture of large and small particles in it . Wood fibres are good to look out for, acting as a natural component that will allow for soil aeration. Sometimes manufactures will use a mix of materials, including stones and ceramic, which you may or may not want in your garden. Seeing as compost is made up of decayed organic material, it has a lot of great nutrients in it. The three main nutrients, which are often present in shop-bought fertilisers as well, are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

For a good value compost, that will help give young plants a boost, this J. Arthur Bowers Multi-Purpose Compost offers two bags at a reasonable price and provides all the nutrients plants need for their first 4-6 weeks. Containing smart release granules, this compost will only work when the growing conditions are optimal, e.g., warm and moist. This allows for the most efficient absorption of minerals, and can feed plants for an entire season – up to six months at a time. Of course, composting is also good for the planet. Creating compost at home in a compost bin is a great way to recycle kitchen and garden waste. Ingredients in Compost Compost is organic material that can be added to plants to improve their health. Whilst making your own compost is a great option for reducing food waste, pre-bought bags can help anyone get started with composting. In fact, our testing shows really variable results for both cheap and expensive compost. The only way to really know what you're getting is to look at our results. Things to look for when buying compost

This year we chose to only test peat-free compost. From 2024, you will only be able to buy peat-free compost in garden centres and DIY stores when the government introduces a ban on peat composts. We firmly believe you can get great results from peat-free composts and we haven't used peat in our own trials for many years. We have also included Moorland Gold composts which use peat recovered from lakes and dams after being naturally washed from peat heathland by rainwater. Make sloping cut in stem of cutting and remove all bottom leaves. Dip end of cutting in hormone rooting powder to encourage rooting http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/fruit-andamp-veg/the-best-multi-purpose-compost-this-year/5249-2.html Lyon Greene wrote ( see) According to some customers’ experiences, this compost can deliver mixed results depending on what’s being grown – it seems that it can help broad beans, carrots and peas to thrive, but may not be as effective on tomatoes, peppers and aubergines.