15 Compost Trial Results - WHICH WON? Peat or Peat-Free?

Рет қаралды 2,506

Күн бұрын

The results are in! Is your favourite bagged compost in the trial?
I have trolled the garden centres 10 miles North and South of me on the A38 and bought every different potting compost that cost less than £10.
A few surprises here!
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15 Compost Trial Results - WHICH WON? Peat or Peat-Free?
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Пікірлер: 118

@robertjames538 5 күн бұрын

I struggled home from the supermarket with a bag of levingtons balancing on my bike ,the half I didnt use is now out the backyard in with the horse shit where it belongs. If only i,d seen this last year.Thanks for uploading and please keep up the good work

@DigwellGreenfingers 5 күн бұрын

A shocking compost from a big company!

@helenkeough4187 Жыл бұрын

Well, at last the results... Interesting.... So I went to the bottom of the garden to see which bags I had left were. Couple of rotted manure and soil improver and two bags of levington peat free.... Deep joy ... Oh well, they'll be mixed with other stuff and I'll be off to buy some miracle gro if I can find it. Did you think about trialling Wilko, B&Q, or jack's magic etc?? Thx Helen x

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I only trialed the ones on sale at the garden centres within 10 miles of me, so if it was less than £10 and they didn't sell it, then no. B&Q was the one that killed my tomatoes last year. Sample sent to www.corteva.co.uk/manure-matters.html and it was confirmed to contain the broadleaf weedkiller CLOPYRALID. Won't be using that one again LOL (videos on my channel) Cheers Helen, have a great week! 🙂

@scottambler4976 Жыл бұрын

Loving this compost trial realy interesting results

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Scott. I was hoping for better from the two expensive RocketGro composts - glad I dumped them on the beds at the allotment now!

@jessicapayne8622 2 ай бұрын

Miracle grow has always been the better one for me.

@DigwellGreenfingers 2 ай бұрын

It's good stuff and it is on offer again this year at Tesco. Two for £9!

@richardgore2000 Жыл бұрын

I used the Livington compost and got the same results.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I guess the name means nothing nowadays!

@christinebrooks6364 Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve, brilliant video on comparing a those different types compost! Thanks for sharing and take care 😊

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Christine! A few shockers again this year!

@grahamarnold8433 Жыл бұрын

Cheers Steve excellent work and interesting results 👍

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I must say, I was surprised! Have a great week.

@GordonjSmith1 Жыл бұрын

Here in Denmark, I am lucky to have a grower who sells not only a wonderful collection of tomato, chilli, cucumber and herb plants, but also makes their own 'peat free' organic compost. We visited about a month ago bought our tomatoes, chillis and cucumbers, and two sacks of their compost (for filling the wick watering pots). In conversation with a fellow customer, and professional gardener in the cafe (wonderful sandwiches they have!!) he revealed that their compost is made from waste from their gardens and two year old leaf mould. Their compost is fantastic, and the plants do not need feeding until at least the middle of the summer. I suspect that companies trying to be 'peat free' are using items like coir and 'fertiliser pellets' instead of really 're-thinking' how they make their compost. Leaf mould and well rotted wood chip seem an ideal replacement for peat, and the addition of low temperature composted garden waste is the way to go. Council composting occurs at very high temperatures, and although it kills seeds and breaks down, it also kills all the microbes, and fungi that plants need. Home made compost + well aged leaf mould - job done! Really interesting experiment - my thanks for 'widening' my World! Can't wait for the next vlog.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for watching. The problem we have with green waste composts is that the makers cannot ensure a consistent supply of materials, so the recipe is different for every batch made. (to a great extent) There are a few places like you describe not too far from me and I used those when I first set up my no-dig beds.

@lg2352 Жыл бұрын

Interesting results! I've ended up mixing a few different bags together, adding some coir and some of my home grown mix. Hope to produce enough compost myself to avoid this roulette game next year!

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

That's my problem - no room to make compost, but my worm bin is productive 🙂

@cumbrianhomestead Жыл бұрын

Great video Steve I note there is no supplier in Cumbria for the mother earth compost 😔😔 I bought a bag of Aldi compost a month ago - worst compost I've ever used 😡😡😡😡 never again! ATB Woody 👍👍👍

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Gotta say, Woody, it is fast becoming potluck with every bag you buy. Every time now I think " Have I just wasted £6?"

@terrykingsallotmentgardening Жыл бұрын

Always good to see your trials Steve. ♻️Happy gardening, Terry King.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I just wish I could make (or find) some like you do Terry 🙂

@terrykingsallotmentgardening Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers found 800ltrs this month, just in time to mulch all my giants. Birthday video up tonight.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

@@terrykingsallotmentgardening Nice!

@terrykingsallotmentgardening Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers 👍👑❤️👑👍

@UpthePottingShed Жыл бұрын

Great trial! Very interesting results.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I'm liking the MiracleGro Peat-Free (well, the bag I bought anyway!)

@johnking-ht5ez Жыл бұрын

Thanks Steve brilliant stuff as ever.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers John - have a great week buddy!

@fletchybabe6172 Жыл бұрын

Great to see such a diversity in the results, thank you for doing this experiment Steve 😁🌱☀️👍🏻

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Fletch. It's a bit like playing Russian Roulette with bagged composts

@thetinygarden_ Жыл бұрын

Oooooh I have been waiting for the results!! 👍👏 Very insightful, I enjoyed following along!! Looks and texture are definitely decieving! Laura 🌱 🙃

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Even the worst ones are doing okay now on the allotment beds, but they are made for pots really. There are much cheaper ways to boost the beds! Have a great Sunday

@beatrice6238 Жыл бұрын

Thank you - interesting results

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Beatrice - a bloody minefield out there LOL

@CoastalGardensNW Жыл бұрын

Some great results there Steve Verry interesting

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

A bit of pot luck with most bags, I think Duncan. But the top few always seem to be up there! Have a great week

@BrainStormAcres Жыл бұрын

Compost roulette! Our results come and go. Part of the problem here is that many of the brand name composts could change me frequently m many different composting locations. The feed stock at each location will be different. Nice trial Steve!! Take care.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Same here guys. What is good one day is bad the next but the MiracleGro Peat-Free has been getting good reviews everywhere so I hope this helps a few to make up their mind 🙂

@LkLk-wv9yx 2 ай бұрын

Hi, enjoy your channel as it has a local slant, I'm in nearby Stroud. Where do you buy Clover compost locally? Is it kitts green in Berkley? Been using Levington seed compost its not that good. When it dries a bit it cakes over like concrete.. Disappointed

@paulardon9540 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting test Steve, thanks

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, Paul! Have a great week

@TheGrowUpChannel Жыл бұрын

LOVE THIS STEVE! what a great experiment. Fancy the expensive ones being in the bottom 5! Says it all! Fairplay to your dedication to trial all this. Good old mother earth!! ❤❤

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers buddy! I'll be buying a few bags of Mother Earth to keep me going in 2024 LOL

@TheGrowUpChannel Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers as will I! Haha

@vanessawilkinson9855 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this video, must cost a bomb trialling all those. Past couple of years I’ve used Erin Peat Reduced & been great, only gone up 50p a bag. This year I also bought some coir, mixed that in to bulk it up….pretty shoddy. Then bought some of that Growmoor you had as sooooo many people raving online. Seems very odd, again dry and coir like, certainly doesn’t feel like a peat based blend as advertised. Plus my seedlings have either stunted or the roots non existent, as I found when I planted my toms (hopefully they’ll recover). Yesterday I bought some Miracle Gro. So that against my usual Erin. Growmoor might have to go on the beds 👍🏻

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

It is a bit of a minefield, isn't it Vanessa? LOL Nowhere close to me seems to sell the Erin range. A lot of them like Growmoor, Happy, Harmony seem to be "locally based" - small areas selling the product, whereas the big names like Levington and MiracleGro are everywhere. Have a great weekend!

@richardpreston4320 Жыл бұрын

Great review and appreciate your work documenting this! Think I'll be popping to tesco later for some miracle grow 😂

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Join the queue LOL 🙂 Many thanks for watching, have a great week!

@mygardenanddinosaurs Жыл бұрын

Brilliant trial Steve. Very informative. I too am off down to Tesco. 😆

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

That MiracleGro gets a DiggY Double Thumbs Up, Mags. And it is doing very well in my Vegepod (update on that in the Small Garden Collab video at the end of the month)

@robertmeakings9774 Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve great trial with your compost I am pleased you use miracle gro as that’s what I have planted all my #SSPC 2023 in.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Robert - I reckon they will grow when in that one! Have a great week buddy

@billvalsallotments5915 Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve this is a great experiment I'll be getting some of that tesco compost , the seed you sent are popping there heads up now .

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

LOL I planted my Zebrune out a week or so ago - all been eaten! The MiracleGro does seem to be top notch!

@Pixieworksstudio Жыл бұрын

Pretty fascinating stuff DG. I use the peat miracle grow as it's the cheapest I can get delivered. But the peat free looks really good!!! Thanks for this

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers AJ - I'll be buying some more of the MiracleGro peat-free!

@Cheriesgardenvegplot Жыл бұрын

That's an interesting trial Steve.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

The results are the same in my Vegepod! MiracleGro far better than RocketGro

@annieskitchengarden818 Жыл бұрын

Morning Steve, Fascinating results....just goes to show how marketing works! Personally, I have only bought Miracle Grow this season and had pretty good results so far. Guess I'll stick with that after seeing your experiment!! Take care, Annie🐞🐝🌱

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Thanks Annie. The Miracle-Groo is doing well in my Vegepod as well, glad to say. I hope they keep the quality up in 18 months time! 🙂

@donnastevens8832 Жыл бұрын

Excellent trial Steve. Did confirm my suspicions about the RocketGro. Still got 3 or 4 bags of that so think I’ll stick to using it either at the bottom of my biggest pots, or maybe as a mulch. Too expensive just to waste it😵‍💫

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

That one disappointed me too Donna - it seems better as a mulch, but then again, they make a mulch too LOL

@ann-zj9vn Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve interesting results. I would never have thought lettuce had such good roots. What was the lettuce called ? I love the colour

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

The lettuce I used was a Salanova one called "Seurat RZ 79-176" : justseed.com/products/rjkletseu001 I do like the RZ range - very reliable. I had the two bigger one in a salad last night, very nice tasting!

@ann-zj9vn Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers thank you for the link . 😀

@iandavies9154 Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve, Miracle Gro won't be suitable for organic gardeners. What you might be seeing is the compost with the most food in it does the best. Maybe a test with different compost but all fed with the same way? It might just be the compost makes no difference, just buy the cheapest and add the food yourself? Cheers

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers, Ian. Maybe next year 🙂 Trouble is, most people expect a bag of compost to do what it says it will without amending it. Miracle-gro does make an organic version but it was not stocked in any of the 10 garden centres I visited for this trial: amzn.to/3MqAsth

@GardenofEmma Жыл бұрын

Interesting results there. I have been using the miracle grow peat free and had great sucesss too. 😊 the Robbie’s one is interesting though too

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Emma. I hope they all become more "stable" - not long to go now until peat is banned (18 months)

@heathergarland3805 Жыл бұрын

I had bought some rocket gro multipurpose having seen good reviews but it is really awful. I have just had to repot everything I had put in it. It had set solid on the surface and was like a sloppy cow pat underneath. At least now I know why everything was dying. Thankfully I had already bought some miracle grow peat free to replace it so I'm glad that did well! Thank you for doing this

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I wish I had seen your first two sentences a while back, Heather!!! It sums up the RocketGro perfectly LOL A bit like an Armadillo - crunchy on the outside, soggy in the middle 😂

@seanH1768 Жыл бұрын

Another good trial - I’m now interested in the price variation

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

I set a price limit of £10 a bag but the exception was the BioBizz as I already had that for another project. The prices per bag and per litre are in the first video, here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g7apfbmDzrmvhKc.html Cheers, have a great week.

@robsallotmentchannel9942 Жыл бұрын

Hi Steve Thanks again for a great video / update. It is strange that how bad some of the compost is but the manufacturer tells you how good it is. Must admit I personally like the westlands compost. Thanks for taking the time, effort and cost for doing this. 👍👍👍👍👍

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers buddy. I watched the owner of the expensive ones at a "What's New Show" in London, (someone else's channel) where he claimed that all material went through a 6mm trommel. Well, there must be some very big holes in it!! 🤣

@robsallotmentchannel9942 Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers Steve, as you might be aware I have been involved in the quarry industry for over 30 years now. My last company I did work for made what they called a recycling trommel, was about 10ft dia and 20ft long we used to fit a 20mm screen for the first 5ft then 6mm the rest of the length. It was a great bit of kit as long as the material was dry, if it was wet you would get a lot of oversize going into the spoil heap. I must have installed over 2o of them up and down the country into recying yards.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

@@robsallotmentchannel9942 Well I think they must have notice their reduced output and started putting the compost spoil heap back into the bags LOL

@myrustygarden Жыл бұрын

Amazing the difference and just shows you really need to do your research. I’m battling grubs in strawberry plants eating roots and beet leaf miner 🤬🤬🤬. Have a great week Steveo, Ali 🤦🏼‍♀️🌞🇨🇦

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Vine Weevils love strawberry roots - nematodes work (if that's your problem) Have a great week Ali

@turbostream7925 Жыл бұрын

Fantastic trial Steve, just shows how different and mostly "pot" (😂)luck buying compost is now. I bought a few of the Aldi £3.49 bags last week, hopefully things grow in it. I have for a couple of years mixed in some fish blood and bone in my compost to give the plants something to go at if I get an iffy bag.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Not tried the Aldi one - did Lidl a few years back and it was okay!

@clivesconundrumgarden Жыл бұрын

Awesome Steve! But seems to be the ones with the most fertilizer added came out on top, rather than the quality of the medium. The sodden ones would definitely be wetter because there's no plant to use it up lol. Hope a tin of people get to see this !! Cheers J&C 🌱🤞🤔👍

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

We probably need to get out of the habit of calling it "compost" here in the UK. It is potting media really.

@clivesconundrumgarden Жыл бұрын

@DigwellGreenfingers yeah, but I think you're findings should be shared to a bigger audience. Most people want to grow pretty stuff without a lot of hard work. This video is perfect for a huge majority of "gardeners!!

@marksallotmentplot Жыл бұрын

Great trial Steve. I bought a bag of that Rocket Gro Fruit and Veg a few weeks back and was less than impressed with it. Also seem to have a bit of a funky smell to it. Another one where most of the bag will now get dumped on a bed

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Must admit, Mark, I was hoping for better from that one 🙁

@ibrstellar1080 Жыл бұрын

I had 4 bags of number 3 and it grew some great runner beans and lettice, the Westland was poor and the Wickes own brand was even worse for me. Thanks for doing the trial and really interesting video and well done👍.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Many thanks for watching! I hope the video takes away a bit of the "pot luck" for some people - trouble is, it won't be seen by all that many, so they will still be disappointed with the rubbish ones!

@ibrstellar1080 Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers Maybe you could do a Potty Mouth compost challenge get the likes of Steve and Danny on board as having the right compost is so crucial for early growing.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

@@ibrstellar1080 Potty Mouth?

@ibrstellar1080 Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers Tony C Smith Potty mouth Garden club as he has popular channels on there so it would help your channel or do a collab with someone like Tony O'Neil as he has done with some channels in the past as he has do a few videos on poor compost.

@stevefromthegarden1135 Жыл бұрын

This was a good trial of your UK composts with interesting results. If you had the ability to make your own compost and use it to make a potting mix, it would be nice to see how it compared.

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Sadly, we are not allowed compost bins on our allotment site as there is a communal composting area, and there is no room in my backyard for one. Having said that, much of my waste does go into the worm bin so I do get something back 🙂

@peggyhelblingsgardenwhatyo7920 Жыл бұрын

Nice job, Steve 👍I thought Miracle-Gro Peat-free would have been further down the line. This hasn't been a good season for MG over here. Wood chunks Galore! Stay well, My Friend 💚🥬💚 ❤Peggy❤

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Peggy. I still think it is pot-luck when buying the "newer" blend of bagged composts. Have a great week over there - you won't have much left if Disney keep pulling out at the rate they are now!

@growingwithfungi Жыл бұрын

Absolutely wonderful as always chief! We are blessed by you.. thank you so much! 😃🌱💚🙏✨🔥🙌🙌🙌🙌

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Scott. Have a great weekend over the water!

@growingwithfungi Жыл бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers you too chief! ☘️🙌🙌🌱💚🙏🔥

@ronaldandsusanshaws-growing Жыл бұрын

👍👍👍👍

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Cheers Ron

@leewozzashomeveggiegarden Жыл бұрын

isn't funny how they all vary , some new growers would think they have done something wrong

@DigwellGreenfingers Жыл бұрын

Yep, that is the problem Lee, and no amout of adding feed would have helped with worst ones - they were just too claggy with no air in them, Sad.

@michellewilson1657 Ай бұрын

Well you sold me but I cant even find the miracle gro pear free in the us. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@DigwellGreenfingers Ай бұрын

I wasn't aware that the USA was going down the peat free route yet so you are lucky. Miracle Gro is sold over there though: miraclegro.com/en-us Have a great weekend!

@michellewilson1657 Ай бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers really? Isn't peat free better environmentally? Wish USA would lead on something in that regard.

@DigwellGreenfingers Ай бұрын

@@michellewilson1657 No, is a bit of greenwashing. Watch this one I made. All the facts for getting rid of peat are myths, all the facts for not getting rid of peat are from scientific articles: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gM9yZq6Eva3HXZs.html

@michellewilson1657 28 күн бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers thank you!!

@TheBILLANDERSON 3 ай бұрын

Thanks Steve , I use to use to use Westland with peat but then tried YouGarden own compost , its OK has mix of fertilizer pellets mixed , created a occasional mould ,,, then tried MiracleGro , that was OK-ish , then tried Rocket Grow , very disappointed , this year going back to MiracleGro ,, but I may try peat free ,Westlands new Horizon with the grit = John Innes and mix some ICL Osmocote fertilser mixed in, what I liked about peat it held its ingredients ,,but this peat free has knocked me about , as I was fan of Westlands with peat not to worry , I like your content in this video ,now a subscriber,, all the best 👌

@DigwellGreenfingers 3 ай бұрын

Many thanks! Yes, the bagged compost market is in turmoil at present. The only reliable peat-free ones are from a single source, like woodchip, but they cost the earth (pardon the pun). The problem with green waste composts is there is no continuity of supply of its ingredients. Council roadside grass clippings one week, wool or sawdut the next. The makers are strugging! And it will only get worse when the horticultural industry starts buying the good stuff in a few years, cos you can bet they will not use the rubbish! Have a look at Atlantic Garden compost - very very good, I've used it on a few videos. 20% seaweed in it.

@TheBILLANDERSON 3 ай бұрын

@@DigwellGreenfingers OK thanks for that 👍🏻