Can anyone work this out please? - Page 3

 

says...

The price per litre is not that different so go for the most convieniant
to you assuming the product is similar
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

 


And don't underestimate the extra time and effort required to barrow the
loose stuff from a bulk bag. It's much quicker to stick a few bags in
the barrow than shovel it all in.

Though I'd be tempted to mix in some top soil as well to give it a bit
more body
--
Chris French

 



Those big bags usually hold about 1000 litres (we explored this for a
client's garden earlier this year but we were looking to use stuff that
was going to be a soil improver). The compost at B&Q is usually good
quality so why not use a mixture of the two?  In the end, you will get
out of your plants only what you put into them - or perhaps I should
say, what you put them into!   You want your soil to be 'open' and
friable and moisture retentive while also being free-draining.  You
need something that's going to be crumbly and, as the old saying has
it, like a rich Christmas pudding.  But don't skimp on what you put
into your beds for the sake of a few pounds.  "The answer lies in the
soil" is 100% accurate.   Your plants will not reward you in poor
quality bought to save a small amount and if in doubt, just think of
what a good bunch of cut flowers or five cost you and equate that with
what you'll get out of veg or flower beds in the years to come.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

 

writes

The trials on beechgrove garden showed an immense improvement in
geraniums and potatoes in a barrel yield when grown in B & Q compost
compared to peat free and 2 other composts so B & Q must be pretty good.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

 

wrote:


As others have said, the garden centre stuff works out a little
cheaper, volume for volume, but there's not a lot in it.

Are you intending to add anything to the compost/manure/stuff from
B&Q, to make the raised bed, or just use it neat? I would argue that
all three should have a decent amount of soil mixed in with them. On
their own, the compost/manure may be too rich for many plants,
especially the manure, and the B&Q stuff might be fine for potting,
but not really suitable for a permanent bed unless it's a John Innes
type compost. It will probably be peat or coir based, and all it's
nutrients will be rapidly washed out if there's no soil (i.e. minerals
such as clay etc.) to retain them.

--
 
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net