A Great Guide to Composting

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If you Google the word garden compost, you will find an incredible variety of garden composts are readily available. So how do you understand which garden compost to choose, and what to use it for? Read on for a fast guide to garden compost types.


Peat-based and peat-free garden composts


Peat-free garden compost use has actually ended up being a really huge concern for garden enthusiasts in recent years. Of course we all wish to be environmentally-friendly, but are peat-free composts as effective? Fortunately is that now there are lots of peat-free alternatives out there that are practically as reputable as peat-based composts. The alternatives are typically based on loam, coconut shell, animal manure and straw or recycled waste. Recycled waste compost tends to be made by local authorities by composting all our food waste at extremely high temperatures to destroy any bacteria and viruses, so there is plenty of it about.


Mushroom garden compost


Mushroom compost is an excellent peat-free garden compost, perfect for growing vegetables or as a soil improver. It usually includes composted farming straw and animal manure, and has been used for growing mushrooms, hence the name. Do not fret, it will have been sterilised to get rid of any spores! You can't get it everywhere, but it is offered from professional compost providers.


Mushroom and manure garden compost


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


Farmyard manure.


Not exactly a garden compost as such, but an useful soil improver, as it includes organic matter to the soil. This is especially good if you have extremely 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 know, since well-rotted manure doesn't really smell at all).


Multipurpose compost


Typically readily available in both peat-based and peat-free alternatives, multi-purpose compost is the go-to option if you are not really sure what to buy. There is no generally concurred formula, so you can't be definitely specific what you are getting. Some types won't be great for growing seeds, as the particles are too big, but otherwise it will probably work pretty well for most plants. You can buy multi-purpose garden compost at garden centres.


Soil-based composts


The very best understood of the soil or loam-based composts are probably the John Innes composts, No1, No2, and No3. These were established 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 definition of what this implies, although it seems likely that they contain some loam and maybe some included fertiliser or nutrients.


Ericaceous garden compost


A special blend of compost appropriate for lime-hating plants, such as rhododendrons and azaleas, ericaceous compost is commonly available from garden centres and garden compost providers. Best not used for plants aside from ericaceous plants however.


Topsoil


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


Ideally this quick guide has offered you a better idea of what's readily available from garden compost providers, and provided you the confidence to go out and buy garden compost with a better understanding of what you are getting. Delighted gardening.


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