Commercial composts
By seaburngirl
9 comments
This is a bit of a question too. I have noticed composts seem to have weed seeds in it these days. What do you think?
I often buy John Innes compost to reduce my use of peat based ones and then I add my own ‘homemade stuff’. Some times I get the odd tomato growing or forget-me-not or poppy but in recent years there have been more sun-spurge common bistort and one I’ve never grown on to identify it.
Now I have always assumed it was my compost that was carrying the seed.
Not now.
Today I went to open a bag that I bought last month and found…….
I have emailed the company and I await an answer.
Now I always thought commercial compost was sterilised to kill any weed seeds in there. I will be interested to hear their answers. The cynic in me wonders if they are not that bothered as we can always buy their weed-killers to solve the problem.
How have you found your commercial compost?
28 Apr, 2022
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Comments
well this is from the same company and of course they sell the weed killers. No response from them as yet.
28 Apr, 2022
I use a compost called Jack's Magic, Seaburn and went to buy it early this year.
It must have been old stock as it was awful! No weeds but plenty of " rubbish" in it and had to sieve it before I used it!
The last lot I bought has been lovely! No complaints at all!
28 Apr, 2022
My friends and I have brought Jacks Magic for a long time but this year its not as good, seems they have changed the mix!!
28 Apr, 2022
I've noticed that bags of the same type and manufacturer can vary from bag to bag, especially the peat-free ones we are all encouraged to buy. I haven't found a make I am prepared to stick with! I've seen twigs, lumps of wood, green and blue plastic shreddings so a lot it is not fit for purpose.
28 Apr, 2022
I tried Durstons this year. So far so good - and it is screened and sterilised! I'd never heard of them but my local small nursery has changed to it and I can see why.
29 Apr, 2022
not heard of them so have googled them. now to find a stockist near me.
29 Apr, 2022
evergreen have replied basically saying it is not uncommon as all the materials are natural products. So it doesn't look as if they heat treat it. But the weeds are easily treated [insert the name of their weed killer in here].
the weed is one of the goosefoot plants Chenopodium album [fat hen].
10 May, 2022
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I have found some composts to be useless and that is me being polite, I now try to always use Miracle Grow Enriched, you are so right about the weeds, I learnt the hard way not to empty my pots and baskets straight over the garden, instead I now throw it into the composter first, if I get the mix right and it feels warm and even steam I know majority of weeds will die... I ended up with that spurge and also another that I'd never had before, spreads rapidly if one is not careful but don't know its name...There have been many complaints about compost in recent years Seaburn, I'm also a cynic and know you've probably hit the nail spot on its head...
28 Apr, 2022