Soil improvers: organic soil improvers like Farmyard Manureopen up the soils structure, breaking up heavy clay and helping free-draining soils hold on to moisture. A little more detail to answer the questions above - The survey appears in the current Jan/Feb 2013 Which? garden magazine. The survey was conducted from spring 2012 to find the best buy composts for growing seeds and young plants. It’s important to strike the right balance between quality and affordability, otherwise the compost probably isn’t going to nourish your plants like you hope, with many cheap products not offering the same quality ingredients as others.

Finally, whether or not compost contains peat is a matter of interest, and contention, for many gardeners. Given that it’s such a polemic issue, you’ll find that the next section is dedicated to the pros and cons of peat-based compost. Peat vs Peat-Free Compost When peat is spread over the garden, its carbon content turns into carbon dioxide over time – not great news when trying to keep the release of greenhouse gasses to a minimum. 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. Well, peat-based compost is still readily available, but a lot of gardeners are choosing to avoid it as much as possible for the above reasons.Partially fill the tub/container with compost, place plant in position and fill around the roots with compost. Firm carefully and water thoroughly. Many manufacturers are attempting to lower the peat content in their compost, due to its negative impact on the environment. However, if the compost doesn’t state that it’s ‘peat free compost’ or at least ‘low in peat’, you should presume that it has a high peat content. Loam is the most important ingredient as it provides a natural reservoir of plant foods, trace elements and contains some organic matter which releases nitrogen slowly to the plant. The loam in J. Arthur Bower’s John Innes is screened and sterilised to avoid any soil-borne diseases and insects In terms of the compost itself, it contains 14 vital minerals to create a rich compost that also drains well. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as expected, alongside 11 trace elements which help to maintain the health of plants. Produced from high quality peats, with the addition of fertiliser, this Growmoor Multi-Purpose Compost does a great job improving the health of plants. It’s available in several sizes, from small 10 L bags up to large 80 L options.

Yes, it is a fantastic option which will enrich your soil over a period of time. What is the difference between multi purpose and all purpose compost? J. Arthur Bower’s Multi-Purpose Compost contains nitrogen (N) for green leaf and shoot growth, phosphate (P) for strong root development and potassium (K) for an increase in flowers and fruit. It also contains trace elements to promote plant health and disease resistance. The compound fertiliser in John Innes Compost provides the wide spectrum of plant nutrients needed for balanced growth.Choosing the right compost can be a finely balanced decision, considering the complex blend of minerals, nutrients and organic matter, judged so that plants perform at their best. We also discovered some of the composts in our seed sowing and young plants trials have the same name but different formulations in various bag sizes. We found: The sphagnum moss peat in John Innes compost improves both the aeration and water-retaining capacity, which enables the compost to make maximum use of the nutrients and trace elements in fertilisers. A. John Innes No 2 Potting On Compost does not contain any organic elements so shouldn’t be attractive to animals 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.

This is the most important feature to watch out for. The finer the texture of the compost, the easier it is for seedlings to break through – and roots to weave under. This also means the compost has high moisture holding capabilities. All of the composts above, with the exception of Gro-Sure’s and Westland’s, will be reformulated next year. Ground horticultural-grade limestone is added to give the compost the pH most plants prefer. For lime-hating plants choose John Innes Ericaceous instead Now you have the facts, you can make your own informed decision about compost. How Much Compost to Buy J. Arthur Bower’s Multi-Purpose Compost will provide your plants with all the nutrients they need for strong healthy growth during the first 4-6 weeks. After that, feed them every 7-14 days during the growing season.

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Loam is the most important ingredient in the compost as it provides the main 'body' of the compost. It also forms the base of plant nutrition by supplying clay which absorbs and releases plant nutrients as required. Loam also contains essential micro-elements and some organic matter which provides a slow release of nitrogen to the plant. Verve Peat Free Multipurpose Compost has three formulations. The 12L bag contains composted bark and green waste. The 20L and 50L bags also contain coir and wood fibre and the 125L is different again, this time with no coir but does contain wood fibre. Coarse sand or grit is used as a physical conditioner to allow excess water to drain from the compost and thus prevent water-logging. It also helps to provide stability for larger plants. 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. 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.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/fruit-andamp-veg/the-best-multi-purpose-compost-this-year/5249-2.html Lyon Greene wrote ( see) Unwanted Food or Drink Products - Once supply conditions are broken, there are a number of factors outside of our control that can affect the quality of a product. Therefore perishable goods such as food and drink cannot be returned. In J Arthur Bower’s Multi-purpose Compost we found the chloride levels were more than twice as high as they should be. Chlorides reduce nitrogen, which is vital for green, leafy growth, and this explained why our plants didn’t flourish. 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.Seed compost: fine-grade seed composts are sterilised to eliminate disease and are low nutrient, so seedlings don't get scorched.