Compost is used to improve or change your naturally occuring garden soil, and for planting up pots and containers. There are a number of options available to you depending on what you are trying to do. You may be looking to add nutrients, or change the physical attributes of your soil to improve growing conditions for your plants. You may be planting up containers and hanging baskets for outdoor colour, or you may want to re-pot a houseplant.
Here, we are mainly looking at bags of compost you can buy, as opposed to homemade compost made from your own organic kitchen and garden waste. Bags of compost are often used when growing plants and flowers in pots and containers, and often have been manufactured to have very specific properties. Some can also be used to feed and enrich the soil of your current pot-grown or garden plants.
Let's take a look at some of the options that you will regularly find in Colour Supplies Home and Garden stores in Wrexham, Oswestry and Whitchurch.
General All Purpose compost
Miracle-Gro Peat Free All Purpose
As its name suggests this is a good all round compost for potting up plants. Containing a unique formulation that will ensure your plants are fed for 3 months, this peat free compost provides the optimum structure for roots to grow strong and prevent them from drying out.
40L £5.99 or 2 for £10. Prices and availability may vary.
Levington Multi Purpose Compost
Use this Multi Purpose Compost for all stages of a plants life. Levington® Multi Purpose Compost contains essential plant food for 6 weeks, to give your container plants a great start.
40L £4.99 or 4 for £16. Prices and availability may vary.
Westland Peat Free Multi Purpose Compost with added John Innes
Whatever size your plant is, this peat free Multi-Purpose compost with John Innes is perfect for supporting plant growth from seed through to mature plants. It has been specially developed to help plants at every life stage for stronger, healthier plants. Made from loam for perfect nutrient and moisture retention, and with sand and grit for excellent drainage. It is also enriched with BIO3 - a new peat alternative - to boost plant growth and to promote roots and shoots. Not suitable for ericaceous* plants.
50L £7.99. Prices and availability may vary.
We also regularly sell Jack’s Magic Compost. This traditional compost blends the finest natural ingredients to create a pure and balanced growing medium which produces super, natural growth and exceptional health for plants and blooms all over your house and garden. Enriched with seaweed it is great for seed sowing, potting on, planting and containers and can be used in beds, borders and containers.
Lifestage Compost
John Innes Peat Free Seed Sowing Compost
Perfect for getting seeds off to a great start, from healthy germination through to potting on. This compost is enriched with vermiculite to retain moisture and nutrients, it also feeds for the first three weeks. John Innes Seed Compost contains sand for excellent drainage as well as coir and loam for perfect nutrient and moisture retention.
35L £6.99. Prices and availability may vary.
John Innes No.1 Young Plant Compost
A peat free blend developed specially for the needs of all young plants to help them establish. With added Zinc complex, this bio stimulant will promote healthy growth. The mix also has loam for perfect nutrient and moisture retention as well as sand and grit for excellent drainage. Feeds for up to 4 weeks.
35L £6.99. Prices and availability may vary.
John Innes No.2 Potting-on Compost
Developed to help all young plants to grow on, ensuring healthy root and shoot development. With added Potassium humate, a bio stimulant for healthy growth, peat and loam for perfect nutrient and moisture retention, as well as sand and grit for excellent drainage. Feeds for up to 5 weeks.
28L £6.99. Prices and availability may vary.
John Innes No.3 Mature Plant Compost
Nurtures and sustains established growth on plants and shrubs, feeding for up to 4 months. This compost is rich in nutrients for hungry plants and contains the traditional John Innes formula of loam, peat, sand, grit, nutrients and lime.
28L £6.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Plant Specific Compost
Westland Rose Planting and Potting mix
Specially blended to support plant health, strengthening roses from the inside out. With a 6 month slow release feed, combined with added sulphur, as well as zinc complex; this perfect blend ensures your best ever roses. Zinc complex is important in the production of plant growth hormone 'auxin' improving transport of water and nutrients around your roses promoting root and shoot growth for stronger, healthier plants.
50L £8.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Westland Tree and Shrub Planting mix
Specially blended to support plant health, strengthening your trees and shrubs from the inside out. With a 6 month slow release feed, combined with added sulphur, as well as zinc complex; this perfect blend ensures healthy trees and shrubs. Zinc complex is important in the production of plant growth hormone 'auxin' improving transport of water and nutrients around your plants. Promotion of root and shoot growth encourages photosynthesis for plant energy production.
50L £8.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Westland Orchid Potting Mix
The secret to growing happy, healthy orchids? This free-draining, peat free mix that prevents over watering and deters flies. Orchids love being in a mix that lets water run past their roots instead of sitting in a waterlogged pot. Added zinc complex promotes root growth into your new potting mix and also boosts plant resilience. It is rich in pine bark to create the perfect balance of aeration and drainage for healthy root development.
8L £5.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Miracle-Gro Peat Free Azalea, Camellia & Rhododendron Ericaceous Compost
Formulated for plants that love acidic growing conditions, this peat-free compost contains patented Smart Fibre™ and Waterlock™ Technologies to ensure your ericaceous* plants have all the nutrients they need to survive. This group of plants if planted in the wrong soil type will be sickly and rarely thrive.
40L £6.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Growbags
Generally used for just one season, a grow bag does what it says - allows you to grow your plants directly within the bag and offers the correct nutrients for just one season. Ideal if you don't want to use pots, or growbags can always be used to take the overflow if you have grown more seedlings than you have pots for.
Westland Big Tom Tomato Planter
A nutrient-rich compost, with advanced moisture retention properties, that promotes strong root growth and sustains healthy plant development. The compost in this growbag is full of essential nutrients, providing the best environment for your tomatoes to thrive. Infused with beneficial seaweed, it enhances both crop quality and encourages abundant fruiting.
£7.99 - Prices and availability may vary.
Westland Growbag
A great all round option for general use, perhaps on a window ledge, balcony or greenhouse. Rich in potash, this compost helps produce an abundance of flowers and can be used for all flowering plants including fruit and vegetables. Cut through the top and plant directly into the bag.
£ 3.99 - Prices and availability may vary.
Other things you might need
As well as the four products below, Perlite and Vermiculite are great additives if you create your own compost. Perlite’s structure maintains moisture and temperature levels. Its has a bright white colour providing protection against sunlight and high radiant energy and also reflects light under the plants foliage to encourage growth. Vermiculite will improve aeration and increase retention of moisture and nutrients. You will often find these additives in your shop bought bags of compost but you can buy them seperately online here.
Landscape Bark
Ideal for a low maintenance flower bed or to make a quick and easy pathway. Scattering a good layer of bark down reduces the need for frequent weeding and helps keep moisture in the soil. It can also be used to create rustic natural looking pathways through larger borders or woodland. Bark will slowly break down to enrich the soil below and will need a fresh dressing every few years.
100L £9.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Farmyard Manure
A soil conditioner that provides the essential nutrients needed for higher crop yields. Manure breaks down naturally in the soil releasing nutrients, as well as adding a rich, natural source of organic matter and humus. Perfect for mulching and incorporating during planting, manure helps to add a more open texture to the soil for the healthy development of plants, fruits and vegetables.
50L £5.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Top Soil
Ideal for creating new beds and borders and raised beds, for lawn preparation, and generally re-invigorating your current soil. These bags of top soil contain specially selected rich clay loam soil with a high humus content which helps retain nutrients and moisture. It is lime and chalk free, perfect for adding nutrients and organic structure to enhance beds and borders. Ideal to enhance a light sandy soil.
30L £4.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Horticultural Sand
A versatile product suitable for a multitude of garden uses. Ideal to break down heavy soils you can also add to your homemade compost to create the optimum growing media for seeds and cuttings. Also use to improve lawn drainage and start off cuttings.
20kg £5.99. Prices and availability may vary.
Pictures not to scale.
*Ericaceous plants prefer to grow in acid soil and don't do well when growing in alkaline soil with high pH or lime. If grown in alkaline soils, they end up suffering from a condition called lime-induced chlorosis, which turns their leaves yellow.
There is so much more for your garden at Colour Supplies. From garden decorations and garden furniture to garden tools and machinery. There's barbeques, lawncare, bug and pest products, pots and plants. You'll find a wider range in store, but more choice of garden machinery on this website.
And if you're still not sure about compost, you can ask one of our friendly members' of staff in store for help and advice.
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