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

Product Information

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. Tub and basket composts tend to be more expensive than multipurpose compost, but using a multipurpose compost with a Best Buy controlled-release fertiliser and regular watering will also give good results. We test compost for three different tasks; sowing seeds, raising young plants and for use in containers.

Ericaceous compost is used for acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias and heathers when you grow them in pots. Many have a high peat content. Remember to use an ericaceous feed to keep your plants healthy. Claimed to be suitable for germinating seeds, small seedlings and plants in patio containers, it's a good general compost, but our tests show that not all are great for all jobs. Look carefully at our results table to find one that is good for all your garden tasks. A. All Purpose soluble plant food doesn’t contain any organic elements so shouldn’t be attractive to animals Then they tested for growing on young plants and seedlings - 20 snapdragon and 20 tomato seedlings were potted up in each compost. Again snapdragons struggle if nutrient levels are too high and tomato don't thrive if they are too low. They were grown on without feeding until the largest were ready to be planted out. All plants were rated on size, quality and leaf colour.

My Top Recommended Multi-Purpose Compost

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. For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. This Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes can be used at any life-stage of the plant: whether it’s germinating or waiting to flower. It delivers a good mix of nutrients and is suitable to be used for up to five weeks. Suitable to use for up to six weeks, this compost retains water well and doesn’t get too compacted. It contains a combination of recycled materials to help with aeration, although it seems that the quality of these materials can vary. There may be wood, stones, and ceramic included, amongst other materials.

All three tests are carried out by an expert at a horticultural institute, and the compost for seeds and young plants test takes place in a temperature and humidity-controlled greenhouse. The composts for containers are tested outside once the nights are frost-free. The results are compiled by an independent assessor who's an expert in compost and plant health. They then tried to raise 12 pots of marigolds and basil seeds from each compost ( 3 from each bag bought from the 4 different areas in the country) Apparently basil does not germinate well if there is a high level of dissolved nutrients in the compost and marigolds will not thrive if the nutrient levels are too low! They counted germinated seeds and the size and quality of the seedlings.

Find out more about why you should buy peat-free compost. Is it true that I can catch Legionnaires' disease from compost? Which? have been researching the issue, systematically. Their results are published in the January/February issue of Gardening Which. I haven't seen the full report, only a summary of their results... They often contain a different mix of ingredients to those found in multipurpose composts. These include small amounts of sand, grit or vermiculite in seed and potting composts, bark in orchid compost and mostly gravel and sand in cacti composts.

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. We also test grow bags - see our round-up of the best grow bags. What are the different types of compost? Raising young plants - we use 25 different composts to grow tomato and marigolds, sown as seed and transplanted when they have two non-seed leaves. Brands tested included Westland, Bulrush, Verve(B&Q) New Horizon, Levington, Miracle gro, Homebase, Vital Earth, Arthur Bower'sNow you have the facts, you can make your own informed decision about compost. How Much Compost to Buy 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. Multi-purpose composts contain a range of nutrients and minerals to help plants thrive. However, you should note how long the compost will continue to nourish your plant for. Most multi-purpose composts will provide nutritional value for around three months. Watch out for reformulated compost - manufacturers frequently change the mix of ingredients they use and the fertiliser, and this is speeding up as the ban on using peat comes ever closer. We can't recommend reformulated brands because there's no guarantee the new product will perform as well as the one we tested. Always use the images above to make sure the Best Buy compost you are buying is the one we have tested. Overall, this is one of the best composts featured if you want a good combination of larger and smaller particles in your compost. These can help with drainage and stop the compost from compacting. With this Westlands option, it’s also nice to know that FSC certified wood is used.