If you Google the word compost, you will find an amazing range of composts are available. So how do you know which compost to choose, and what to use it for? Read on for a fast guide to garden compost types.
Peat-based and peat-free composts
Peat-free garden compost use has become a really big issue for gardeners in recent years. Of course we all want to be environmentally-friendly, but are peat-free composts as efficient? The good news is that now there are plenty of peat-free options out there that are pretty much as dependable as peat-based composts. The options are usually based upon loam, coconut shell, animal manure and straw or recycled waste. Recycled waste garden compost tends to be made by local authorities by composting all our food waste at extremely heats to ruin any bacteria and viruses, so there is lots of it about.
Mushroom compost
Mushroom garden compost is a very good peat-free compost, perfect for growing vegetables or as a soil improver. It normally consists of composted farming straw and animal manure, and has been used for growing mushrooms, for this reason the name. Do not worry, it will have been sterilised to remove any spores! You can't get it all over, but it is readily available from specialist garden compost suppliers.
Mushroom and manure compost
This is mushroom garden compost blended with straw-based animal (livestock and poultry) manure, so it's really mushroom garden compost with a greater proportion of straw and manure Like mushroom garden compost, it's an outstanding soil improver, and can be used for a lot of non-ericaceous plants. Not only does it improve soil structure, but it adds lots of nutrients to the soil. Again, it may not be widely available from garden centres, but you can buy it from professional garden compost suppliers.
Farmyard manure.
Not exactly a compost as such, but an useful soil improver, as it includes raw material to the soil. This is especially good if you have really sandy or heavy clay soils, as it will improve the texture of the soil. You will need to make certain that the manure is well-rotted before use (you'll know, due to the fact that well-rotted manure does not really smell at all).
Multipurpose compost
Usually offered in both peat-based and peat-free options, multi-purpose garden compost is the go-to alternative if you are not really sure what to buy. There is no generally agreed formula, so you can't be definitely certain what you are getting. Some types won't be excellent for growing seeds, as the particles are too huge, but otherwise it will most likely work pretty well for many plants. You can buy multi-purpose compost at garden centres.
Soil-based garden composts
The best known of the soil or loam-based composts are probably the John Innes composts, No1, No2, and No3. These were developed by the John Innes Institute, and offer all the nutrients that plants in different phases need to grow well. Some multi-purpose composts declare to have included John Innes. There is no concurred meaning of what this means, although it seems likely that they include some loam and perhaps some added fertiliser or nutrients.
Ericaceous compost
A special mix of compost appropriate for lime-hating plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas, ericaceous compost is extensively offered from garden centres and garden compost suppliers. Best not used for plants besides ericaceous plants however.
Topsoil
Worth consisting of in the round-up, as it's an affordable alternative to compost for a lot of functions, this is essentially good quality fertile garden soil. The majority of plants really like it, and it can be found in numerous formulas, for instance, for vegetables or for general use, and three qualities, economy, basic purpose and premium. It's a reasonably affordable growing medium, and can also be used to bulk out purchased composts, or as a soil improver in its own right.
Hopefully this brief guide has provided you a much better idea of what's available from garden compost providers, and provided you the confidence to head out and buy garden compost with a much better understanding of what you are getting. Pleased gardening.
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