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Levington Multi Purpose Compost

Last post 17-02-2009 11:13 AM by bogweevil. 5 replies.

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  • 16/02/2009 04:54 PM
    • James1664
    • UK
    • 28 Aug 2008
    • 82
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     Dear All,

     I've been offered a 'job lot' of Levington Multi Purpose Compost (from a friend who works in a Garden Centre) and also some bags of West +.

    Has anyone used either of these compost in containers?  I'm considering using the Levington Multi Purpose Compost in containers for growing runner beans up a wigwam and using the West + in my veg patch to bulk up the soil.

     Any comments or suggestions would be most appreciated.

     Many thanks,

    James

    Roll on the weekend!
  • 16/02/2009 09:41 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 3,347
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     If you can get it cheap, then it's worth having. It might be old stuff, but that shouldn't matter for the uses you have in mind. For seeds, it'd be better to have fresh stuff.

    For the wigwam of beans, a soil based compost might be better - it would retain moisture slightly better and would be heavier, making the whole thing less likely to blow over. If you water it often enough, the compost should be OK though.

     

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 16/02/2009 10:58 PM
    In reply to
    • James1664
    • UK
    • 28 Aug 2008
    • 82
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    I was thinking of adding some sharp grit to compost to add a bit of weight to it and also to aid drainage.  I was also considering using some slow release fertiliser to the mix before I planted the beans.

    Roll on the weekend!
  • 17/02/2009 07:34 AM
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    Potting media has a shelf life after which its structure declines eventually leading to insufficient air spaces for roots to access oxygen. Amateur material is rather fine textured and only lasts 12 months from manufacture which is why annual repotting is advised. I expect you are being offered last year's stock. Many garden centres will cheerfully sell you last year's potting media at full price, but you should always buy fresh stuff for potting. DIY superstores have a fast turnover, low prices and stock seldom lingers. It is good that you are being offered the old rubbish for nothing or very little. Having said that, it is perfectly all right to dig in as a rather low quality soil improver. Mixed with fine bark chips or perlite it might be restored to a reasonable potting media. Adding sufficient grit to alter the air spaces tends to compress the potting media, grit being heavy stuff, leading to even fewer air spaces and cannot be recommended. Sand is of course compeletely useless as it will fill the air spaces. A more reliable method may be to add 50;50 fresh potting medium and then some perlite to open it up a bit. Boggy

    Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
  • 17/02/2009 08:47 AM
    In reply to
    • James1664
    • UK
    • 28 Aug 2008
    • 82
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     Just checked with my friend at the garden centre and he says its end of last year (2008) stock - they've written the stock off and it is supposed to be used on site for their planting, but he's letting me have a load on the sly.............

     

    Thanks for the info about the grit, Boggy.   What if I add some JI No 3 to it?

    Roll on the weekend!
  • 17/02/2009 11:13 AM
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    Soil particles being fine will fill up air spaces and make low quality potting media even worse.  Adding a bit of the out-of-date potting media to John Innes is more feasible, but will reduce the stability that the soil gives to John Innes potting media.  This won't much matter for short-term crops, but is worth considering for long-lived plants.

     

    Boggy

    Beware the bat-eared bogweevil