Wednesday, April 29, 2020

A Good Guide to Composting

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If you Google the word garden compost, you will find a fantastic variety of garden composts are available. So how do you know which compost to pick, and what to use it for? Read on for a quick guide to garden compost types.


Peat-based and peat-free composts


Peat-free compost use has become a really big problem for garden enthusiasts over the last few years. Naturally all of us wish to be environmentally-friendly, but are peat-free garden composts as effective? The good news is that now there are a lot of peat-free options out there that are practically as reliable as peat-based composts. The options are generally 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 high temperatures to ruin any bacteria and infections, so there is plenty of it about.


Mushroom garden compost


Mushroom garden compost is a great peat-free garden compost, suitable for growing vegetables or as a soil improver. It generally consists of composted farming straw and animal manure, and has actually been used for growing mushrooms, for this reason the name. Do not worry, it will have been sterilised to get rid of any spores! You can't get it all over, but it is offered from specialist garden compost providers.


Mushroom and manure garden compost


This is mushroom garden compost combined with straw-based animal (livestock and poultry) manure, so it's really mushroom garden compost with a greater percentage of straw and manure Like mushroom garden compost, it's an outstanding soil improver, and can be used for the majority of non-ericaceous plants. Not just does it improve soil structure, but it includes a lot of nutrients to the soil. Again, it may not be widely offered from garden centres, but you can buy it from expert garden compost suppliers.


Farmyard manure.


Not precisely a garden compost as such, but a helpful soil improver, as it adds organic matter to the soil. This is especially excellent if you have really sandy or heavy clay soils, as it will improve the texture of the soil. You will need to make sure that the manure is well-rotted before use (you'll understand, due to the fact that well-rotted manure does not really smell at all).


Multipurpose compost


Typically available 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 absolutely specific what you are getting. Some types will not be very good for growing seeds, as the particles are too huge, but otherwise it will probably work pretty well for the majority of plants. You can buy multi-purpose compost at garden centres.


Soil-based composts


The best known of the soil or loam-based garden composts are most likely the John Innes composts, No1, No2, and No3. These were developed by the John Innes Institute, and supply all the nutrients that plants in different phases need to grow well. Some multi-purpose garden composts claim to have added John Innes. There is no concurred definition of what this suggests, although it promises that they include some loam and maybe some included fertiliser or nutrients.


Ericaceous compost


A special blend of garden compost suitable for lime-hating plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas, ericaceous garden compost is commonly available from garden centres and garden compost suppliers. Best not used for plants other than ericaceous plants though.


Topsoil


Worth consisting of in the round-up, as it's a sensible alternative to compost for a lot of purposes, this is essentially good quality loamy garden soil. The majority of plants really like it, and it can be found in several formulations, for instance, for veggies or for basic use, and 3 qualities, economy, general function and premium. It's a relatively affordable growing medium, and can also be used to bulk out bought composts, or as a soil improver in its own right.


Hopefully this quick guide has actually given you a better concept of what's readily available from garden compost suppliers, and given you the confidence to head out and buy compost with a much better understanding of what you are getting. Happy gardening.


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