Levington PEAT FREE Multipurpose Compost, 40 Litres

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Acid-loving plants such as azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons need an ericaceous compost that has a lower pH, meaning it’s veering into acidic soil territory. Use compost in a well-ventilated place; keep the greenhouse or potting shed door open and avoid breathing in dust. For cuttings: Fill the pot with the Levington Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes, take the cutting (according to the type of plant), water, cover and keep warm. Watch out for reformulated compost - manufacturers frequently change the mix of ingredients they use and the fertiliser, and this is speeding up as the ban on using peat comes ever closer. We can't recommend reformulated brands because there's no guarantee the new product will perform as well as the one we tested. Always use the images above to make sure the Best Buy compost you are buying is the one we have tested.

The right balance of nutrients - a good seed or potting compost should have the right balance of nutrients to grow a range of plants during this stage of their development, whereas a multipurpose compost should be able to support plants at all growth stages. Remember that most composts only have enough fertiliser to last around four weeks, so after this you will need to add liquid feed or one of our Best controlled-release fertilisers .This year we chose to only test peat-free compost. From 2024, you will only be able to buy peat-free compost in garden centres and DIY stores when the government introduces a ban on peat composts. We firmly believe you can get great results from peat-free composts and we haven't used peat in our own trials for many years. We have also included Moorland Gold composts which use peat recovered from lakes and dams after being naturally washed from peat heathland by rainwater. Tub and basket composts tend to be more expensive than multipurpose compost, but using a multipurpose compost with a Best Buy controlled-release fertiliser and regular watering will also give good results. Ideal for final potting of ericaceous or acid loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons or heathers. Specially developed, with a unique combination of 14 vital minerals for maintaining plants growth and health. With its traditional mix of loam, peat and grit, Levington Peat FreeEricaceous Compost with added John Innesprovides the perfect structure for your plants roots, feeding for 6 weeks. How to use Tub and basket composts are formulated to give the right conditions for pots of summer bedding to grow well.

But the only way to know if a compost is good or bad is to grow plants in it and compare them - something we've been doing for more than 30 years. Formulated to optimise plant growth by providing the right conditions to suit the plant at a particular stage in its life, or for certain types of plants such as orchids, cacti or ericaceous plants. The best compost you can buy in 2023 1. Westland John Innes Seed Sowing Compost: Best compost for sowing seedsWe test compost for three different tasks; sowing seeds, raising young plants and for use in containers. Container compost (sometimes called potting mix) is what you’ll use for anything you plan to keep in a container; usually houseplants but occasionally potted plants outside, too. Lighter in texture than garden compost, it’s not designed to improve the soil around it. Just to make it more complicated, there are plenty of variants of these potting composts, too, even if they’re in a different field to garden compost. In fact, our testing shows really variable results for both cheap and expensive compost. The only way to really know what you're getting is to look at our results. Things to look for when buying compost Old compost is often on sale - we send secret shoppers to buy our composts, who tell us if they find old compost on sale. It's a very common problem. We also know from our testing that old compost doesn't perform as well as fresh compost. To avoid this, buy bags that look new and aren't faded or heavy, which suggests they have been sitting around in bright sunshine for too long, or have been rained on regularly.